


Saga of Light: She Will Light The Way

by SirAngelo



Series: Saga of Light [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Adventure, Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Development, Character Focus, F/M, Introspection, KH3 Spoilers in Notes, Personal Growth, Romance, Slight RokuNami, SoKai All Day Every Day, Sokai, divergent canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-13
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2020-01-12 19:22:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 216,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18453023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirAngelo/pseuds/SirAngelo
Summary: [A Kingdom Hearts II alternate universe story]Sora is the Organization's captive. Kairi wields the Keyblade. Riku and Namine skulk in the shadows.Wait, what has happened?Offering himself to the Organization in exchange for Kairi's freedom, Sora is imprisoned and used as pawn to further their plans, while Kairi is whisked away into the wider world around her. Now, she and and her new allies, are the last stand against the Organization and their machinations. For her sake and for Sora's, Kairi must take hold of the reins of fate, fighting against the tide of darkness, and become the hero she was always destined to be.





	1. The Deal

**The Deal**

 

 

“Is _she_ that important to you?”  


  
“Yeah. More than anything.”

 

 

He had answered without even a pause. No thought, just action.

 

 

“Show me how important.”

 

 

The request hung in the cold air of the dying day; long and heavy. Longer and heavier still, due to the fatigue that coursed through Sora's body. Through everything that had happened today – the world hidden in the computer, the revelations about their old enemy “Ansem”, the onslaught of Heartless, more and more encounters and battles with the sinister and wicked Organization XIII – the young and heroic bearer of the Keyblade, as well as his companions Goofy of the Disney Royal Knights and the Disney Court Magician Donald Duck, were at their limit, both physically and mentally. Now, facing the imposing, scarred Saix – Number VII of the Organization XIII – they most certainly didn't have the strength left to face him; at least, face him and win with a comfortable margin. And now, even more to weigh down on their weary hearts and bodies. Was it just a request, or more? A taunt? A treatise? A way out of another inevitable fight? He didn't know, but he wanted to believe it was more, that showing him would lead to something.

 

 

Swallowing his pride, and to the audible shock of his companions, Sora slowly fell to his hands and knees, face down in the dirt, prostrating himself shamelessly to his enemy.

 

 

“Please.” Sora begged. It was loud and audible, but he felt like he was choking on his own breath. It was hard to get out, and not because he was humiliating himself. “Please, take me to her. Let her go. I'll do anything, just for that.”

 

 

Saix glared down at the boy with fierce and corrupt golden eyes, a smirk slowly oozing across his face. “Would you exchange your freedom for her own?” Came his abrupt reply, causing Sora to rise – still on his knees – and look hopefully at the enemy. “We will give her her release, and in exchange you will become our captive and assist in slaying Heartless and forging Kingdom Hearts. Do we have a deal?”

 

 

Another heavy, leaden statement by the scarred man, but once more, Sora had no time for thought. Just action. Heck, just one year ago, on this very world of Hollow Bastion, he had given up his life for hers, plunging a Keyblade into his heart to free hers. He would be gone for good if it weren't for her, too. She had pull him out from the darkness. Sora would gladly do it again. Easy choice.

 

 

_For Kairi._

 

 

“I'll do it.” Came the response, causing Saix's smirk to grow all the wider. Sora rose back to a standing base. “Promise to let Kairi go, and I'll do it.” Saix smirk had grown to the point that pointed canines were visible.

 

 

“You have my word.” Saix said, offering a gloved hand to the boy.

 

 

Within that moment, Sora hesitated. He saw the gravity of his decision laid out before him in that hand and Saix's predatory grin. If he agreed, that was most likely the end of it. There was no one else left to oppose the Organization, and he would become complicit in their plot, which would lead to.... Well, he wasn't entirely sure what the end result of the Nobodies crafting a false Kingdom Hearts would be. Most likely something bad.

 

 

But, this was Kairi. Kairi, the sweet and cheerful girl who always stuck by his side, from the day they met. The one who always tagged along with him and Riku one whatever harebrained scheme they could conjure and stood by them when they were dismayed or injured after said scheme blew up in their face. The girl who showed up out of the blue from a distant star, further spurring the curiosity of the two boys on the topic of a greater world beyond their islands and oceans. Intelligent, athletic, kind, gracious, pretty; she was... Kairi. She was Kairi, and she was his world.

 

 

_I meant it. I really did. You're the most important thing in my life. I love you, Kairi._

 

 

“Deal.”

 

 

Sora reached out and shook hands with the devil.

 

 

“Sora don't do this!” Goofy pleaded to his longtime companion. “There's another way to rescue her!” Donald likewise broke his silence.

 

 

“We're not gonna let him take you. Deal or not!” The feathered mage brought out his staff, signaling Goofy to arm himself with his shield, and the two of them charged forward, leaping into the air ready to strike Saix.

 

 

“This matter no longer concerns you!” For a brief moment, Saix's face turned into something feral and bestial. Thick cords of knotted muscles and tendons contorting his face into that of a savage monster, adding to his narrow slit pupils and bared fangs. With an outstretch arm, a blast of wind launched forth, picking up the airborne knight and mage and sending them hurtling backwards and into the open maw of a corridor of darkness, which promptly shut and swallowed them whole.

 

 

The whole turn of events happened so fast that Sora couldn't react quick enough with his weary body. “Donald! Goofy!” He turned back to Saix, hopeful submission replaced by indignant anger. “Hey, why did you do that!? They aren't a part of this!”

 

 

“Exactly.” Saix replied coldly, his face and demeanor having returned to their normal stony stoic state. The change was so fast it was unsettling. “They were not a part of this, as such, they had no place here.” The scarred Nobody roughly placed a hand on Sora's shoulder, gripping it with iron hard fingers. Another corridor of darkness sprung up behind the two. “Now, will you come long like a good little hostage, or... will you selfishly leave Kairi at our mercy?”  
  
  
“I'll give up anything for her. I'll keep my promise.” Sora replied, glaring venomously at Saix. “But I also promise that I'll get even with you for this. That this isn't the end.”

 

 

“Whatever you say.” Saix returned, disinterested and clearly thinking nothing of the threat. The inky black portal behind them grew even larger, large enough for it's frame to tower over both of them, before it closed down and covered the two in blackness, whisking them away to parts unknown.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Kairi sighed for what must had been the hundredth time in the hour. Of course, when trapped in a sparsely furnished jail cell, your only real options to while away the time were to sit and wait or pace about the tiny cell, and she felt that she needed to conserve her energy and eliminate unnecessary movement, regardless of her degrading patience.

 

 

 _I really messed up this time._ She was captive, stuck in a passive role, waiting to be saved once again, and all that came about _because_ she was trying to avoid being that again. Being the damsel. She had left the safety of her home, blindly charging into the unknown, for the sole purpose of trying to find her friends, Sora and Riku. Why she had left... well, in hindsight, it seemed rather foolish of her. She couldn't fight in any capacity, she doubt she'd be anything but a distraction and a burden, but she also didn't want to be stuck on the island that they all called home. Maybe all she wanted was just to see them again, tell them she was safe, make sure that they were safe. It wasn't much but it was better than waiting and praying and hoping and doing nothing and being useless all over again. Like last year when all this started. She never wanted to be useless again.

 

 

 _And you're doing a great job of that, genius._ Now, she was worse than useless. She was in the clutches of the enemy, serving as leverage against her friends. Even though her guards had assured her that she would be kept safe and humanely – bed, toiletries, three meals a day – she didn't hold her breath. The moment that Sora stormed the Organization's castle, she would trotted out with a gun to her head, and then it would be over, all because of her. They were gonna lose because of her.

 

 

Idly thinking of her captors and the guards caused her to look up, through the bars of her cell. The castle was still and quiet, eerily so, and the only thing in her vision were the ceilings, floors, and walls of the castle, all made of the same cold, bright, white metal. Normally her three guards would rotate between themselves every few hours, each keeping an eye on her in turn, but she hadn't seen any of them all day. Come to think of it, there had been some sort of commotion earlier on, muffled voices, heavy, booted footfalls echoing across the halls, even hearing the lesser Nobodies, the Dusks and Creepers, slithering and sliding in their unnatural gait. But for the past few hours, nothing.

 

 

Of her three guards – apparently the low-ranking members of Organization XIII, she had yet to see the top three – they all had different approaches to handling her. The mullet and flattop wearing youth, Demyx, was probably the most personal of the three. Very chatty, mostly small talk, mostly about himself, though he would occasionally ask her questions too, every now and then. He would also bring along his sitar and play a handful of songs in between lulls in conversation, which was rather enjoyable. He was a skilled player and had a good enough singing voice.

 

 

Luxord, the blond man with the goatee, wasn't too terrible a guard either. While he was distant and impersonal compared to Demyx, he still treated her well enough. His verbose and obtuse vocabulary was rather obnoxious, but Kairi was a good student, so she understood ninety-nine percent of what he said. Most of the time though, he kept to himself and would invite along several of his lesser Nobodies and the group of them would play card games through the bars of her cell. Luxord always won, but it wasn't sighing or pacing, so Kairi felt it a good way to pass the time.

 

 

The final guard, was far and away the worse of the lot. Saix, the towering and scarred Nobody who had taken her away from her first captor, the renegade Nobody Axel (remembering that she had been kidnapped by two different parties in the span of less than an hour caused her to curse her uselessness once again). Saix said and did nothing, other than to tell her to shut up if she made a noise, or to glare at her from across the room with an unerring, hateful gaze. Everything about him caused Kairi's skin to crawl in fear and revulsion.

 

 

Footfalls began to echo off of the walls of the hallway outside the cell, breaking Kairi from her recollection, as well as her day of solitude and near perfect silence. Furthermore, as the footfalls grew louder, Kairi was surprised to see the disturbance was not one of her three regular guards, but a different Nobody all together. This one a slightly older man with long black hair, streaked with grey, pulled into a ponytail. Several scars covered his face, and an eye patch covering his right eye.

 

 

“Up and at 'em, little bird.” Eye Patch called out, as he entered into Kairi's line of sight. He turned to face her, bearing a easy going but cocky grin. “Aren't you in for a treat today. Superior's called a big powwow and you're to be the guest of honour.” Eye Patch placed his hand on the wall just outside the cell door, apparently touching some sort of panel or control console, as the bars that imprisoned her retracted into the floor.

 

 

“W-what's going on?” Kairi said, trying to sound courageous. But the break in her voice ruined any brave front she would have put up. Instead, she pressed herself up against the far wall of the cell, away from the Nobody.

 

 

“Oh, don't you worry, little bird.” The Nobody grinned even further, walking towards her in the back of the tiny cell. “You'll find out soon enough.” Eye Patch reached out and seized the redheaded girl by the wrist, dragging her out into the hall. “And don't try anything stupid or brave. Or both.” He let out a bark of laughter, as he roughly shoved her ahead of him. Kairi turned her head about to spare her captor a glance, seeing that in his right hand was some sort of futuristic handgun with needle-shaped barrel aimed directly at the small of her back. “Yeah. That's right. So, like I said, just stay nice and cool and it'll be all okay. 'Sides, I'd hate to mess up that pretty little face of yours.”  
  


Kairi gulped, her heart racing faster than she thought possible, but she began to stiffly move forward, Eye Patch right on her heels. Her feet felt like lead and her limbs and joints were stiff and ungainly. Something bad was about to happen, she could feel it, and he fear-addled mind was playing dozens of horrible of scenarios in her head.

 

 

Eye Patch stayed quiet for the most part, save for a few chuckles at her expense and telling her where they had to go, but he did make one audible comment which she caught. “Jeez, I can't believe that little punk gave up everything just for you. What an absolute joke.”  
  


“What?” She choked out in response. “Who are you talking about?”

 

 

“Like I said, you'll see soon enough.” The Nobody punctuated the statement with a jab from his gun barrel, causing Kairi to yelp and skitter ahead, which only earned another chuckle from Eye Patch.

 

 

Eventually, Kairi was led to what looked like a boardroom. It was actually a little jarring that this nebulous group of sociopaths would have a boardroom that would not look out of place in almost any office building (all white colour scheme not withstanding) complete with a long table and several plush looking office chairs.

 

 

The members of Organization were all gathered within. Of the one's she recognized, Saix was skulking around in the back of the room, and Luxord was sitting at the table, playing solitaire, though Demyx was oddly absent. However, their were two more Nobodies that she'd never seen before in addition to Eye Patch. One with long jet-black hair that was bound up in elaborate braids and dreadlocks, his fearsome face framed in between two impeccably shaven muttonchops. The other new person sat at the head of the table, with skin the colour of teak and long grey-white hair. His golden eyes surveyed the scene before him, watching intently with his fingers tented. Judging by his position at the table, Kairi assumed that this was the so-called “Superior” of Organization XIII.

 

 

However, there was one more occupant in the room, standing in front of the table and away from the Nobodies. It was someone that Kairi recognized immediately, even with the year of separation and growth. He was slightly taller, with longer hair, thicker muscles along his arms and legs, and a rather sharp new set of clothing. But it was him without a doubt. Kairi would never forgot those deep, soulful ocean blue eyes, no matter how long they had been apart.

 

 

“Sora!” Kairi rushed forward to her longtime friend, briefly forgetting the gun aimed at her back, forgetting about the horrid situation of being kidnapped and held against her will, as bait, as leverage. They had finally found one another, the one thing she had wanted more than anything else.

 

 

She wrapped her arms around him as tight as possible, pressing up against him in a loving hug, cherishing the moment. But she soon realized that something was wrong. Very wrong. Sora wasn't returning the hug, and in fact seemed to be trying to inch away from her.

 

 

“Sora? What's wrong?” The redhead looked up at her wayward friend, seeing that he was averting his eyes from her. A chill ran up her spine. Why was Sora here? In the heart of the enemy fortress, standing before his enemies and not fighting them with everything she had. All of her elation had quickly evaporated, deep dread returning home once again. “What's going on...?”

 

 

“Yeah, kiddo.” Eye Patch walked around and behind them, ruffling Sora's spiky hair in mock affection. “Why don't you explain to red just why you're here.” Another bark of laughter, though he seemed to be the only Nobody drawing amusement from the situation. The others watched on with steely stoicism.

 

 

Gently, Sora broke Kairi's grip on him and pushed her away, still averting eye contact. “I... I gave myself up...” He explained in a quiet, shame-filled voice. “My freedom in exchange for yours. That was the deal... I'm their prisoner, that's why I'm here.”

 

 

“No, Sora... you didn't!” Kairi's mouth hung open, uselessly, as she tried to express her shock. Her legs felt like they were going to give out on her, Sora had given himself up for her? She knew the depths of his devotion to his friends, the lengths that he would go, but.... She placed both hands on his cheeks and made him look at her. “Please... please don't. I'm not worth this. You can't give yourself up.” Kairi could feel tears welling in her eyes as she pleaded to the Keyblade bearer.

 

 

“I'm afraid that he already has.” All present in the room turned to the head of the table, as it was The Superior Nobody who had spoke in a deep, rumbling bass-filled voice, the kind that demanded silence and authority. “Our young Keyblade Warrior will now work in service of us, striking down Heartless after Heartless, to free the hearts they hold captive. One by one, they will be released from their dark prison and be used to weave our glory and our victory. Together, they will craft... Kingdom Hearts.”

 

 

The air froze in Kairi's lungs and she struggled for breath. This had to have been a nightmare, some terrible, dark dream that she would soon wake up, being greeted by the light of day in her own bed. Sora and Riku would be there and all be there and they would go one some kind of lighthearted, childish adventure and it would all be okay. It would all be okay...

 

 

Before her entire body gave out on her, Sora placed both hands on her shoulder, firm but gentle. The redhead looked up to see a pair of reassuring blue eyes, vast and calm as the ocean on a lazy afternoon. “You are worth it, Kairi. I would do this a hundred times over. All for you.” The words from Sora finally allowed Kairi to find purchase in reality, breath returning to her and she slowly inhaled and exhaled, her legs no longer trembling under the pressure of the situation.

 

 

Sora then turned to the Superior, glaring hard at him. “I'll work for you guys. I know that's the deal. But you have to live up to your end of the bargain. Let Kairi go free to someplace safe. Take her home.”

 

 

“Oh, we certainly will live up to the deal.” Saix spoke up in his low, cold voice. The scarred Nobody began to make long strides towards the front of the room. “The girl will be set free, but I recall no mention of having to take her home, or anywhere safe for that matter.” With that, his hand shot out and snatched Kairi by the end of her hair. She cried out in pain, as Saix dragged her away, a corridor of darkness materializing in the direction they were heading.

 

 

“Hey! What are you doing?” Sora tried to move to intercept, but Eye Patch snagged the hood on his jacket and yanked backwards, Sora's head slamming hard on the floor.

 

 

“Sorry, kiddo, can't let that happen.” The Nobody cackled, putting the teen in a headlock and then propping him up into a sitting position, forcing him to watch as Saix continued to slowly drag Kairi to the swirling black portal. “Seriously though, I can't believe you fell for the oldest trick in the book. Poor choice of words, buddy. And now you gotta watch!”

 

 

And watch he did. Every agonizing moment of it. It seemed Saix was purposefully dragging out every second of this, relishing in the fear and desperation of the two teens. With his inhuman strength, he certainly good have finished this in a hurry, but instead took slow, mechanical steps to the portal, Kairi futilely struggling with every step, trying to pull her head out of his grip vice grip or find her footing on the smooth, metallic floor. Realizing that the gateway was her inevitable fate, Kairi turned back to Sora, terror and tears featured prominently in her purple-blue eyes.

 

 

Sora continued to struggle in Eye Patch's grip – who now was weaved a leg around Sora's right arm and was holding down his left with a free hand – but even renewed by a desire to wipe away the fear in his friend's eyes, it was pointless. With Kairi now only five-feet away from the corridor, defeatism had set in. He racked his brain furiously to try and think of something inspiring or comforting, something that may be his very last words to her, but all he could manage was to croak out a very weak, “I'm sorry...”

 

 

“No....” Kairi shook her head, voice thick with emotion. “I'm sorry... this is my fault, Sora. I just wish I was stronger. For both of us....”

 

 

“What a ludicrous fantasy.” Saix sneered, his voice still not raising above a monotone. “A weak person like you could never hope to be anything else. That is the nature of the world and you've wasted your life trying to fight against that truth. You truly are useless.”

 

 

That one crushing and precise word crushed any resistance left in Kairi, as she would have collapsed to her knees if she weren't being propped up by Saix. All fight gone, Saix heaved her as if she weighed nothing, the redhead hurtling helplessly through the air and into the swirling black mass that he had summoned.

 

 

Before she entered the corridor, Kairi – eyes still locked on Sora – reached her arm out, fingers spread wide in an open gesture, as if her hero would miraculously save her one more time. It had happened before. Sora always defied the odds and saved the useless damsel who couldn't do anything for herself. That's how it went. It could happen again.

 

 

But it didn't.

 

 

Kairi vanished into the black hole

 

 

She was gone.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Despite being hurled with such force and contempt, Kairi found herself falling at a rather gentle pace. It almost felt like moving through water, with each movement hampered and slowed down, but possessing a calming and graceful flow to it. Specifically, it was like swimming downwards into deep ocean waters, looking downwards past forty-feet only to be greeted by a black abyss, as her vision was currently clouded by a similarly impenetrable abyss.

 

 

_If only.... If only I were strong, like Sora or Riku. None of this would happen._

 

 

As she slowly descended to wherever Saix had condemned her to, she replayed the last ten minutes over in head on a constant loop, mostly cursing herself for being so worthless. If she could do...something, use a weapon or magic... fight off Axel instead of running into the corridor, stop Axel or Saix from taking her, break out of her prison in the castle.... If only she were actual strong, competent, and capable, Sora....

 

 

_That's what I want to be. I want power. I don't want to be a burden to anyone anymore._

 

 

Eventually, something other than all consuming blackness entered her vision. Strange, grey stone that formed a crooked, impossible landmass appeared below her... very close below her. It might have only been twenty or thirty-feet, proving just how limiting to eyesight the darkness was. Closer and closer she fell and she could see the grey land formed several snaking and overlapping pathways, stone walkways floating in nothing and stretching endlessly through the expanse...what little she could see.

 

 

Manoeuvring her body about so that her feet made contact first and as soon as her shoes touched ground the sound echoed loudly through the space, despite the fact that she appeared to be completely outdoors. Wherever she was, it all felt so unnatural and wrong.

 

 

_Wherever I am... I have no clue where I am. If I can get home from here. If I could even find someone friendly or helpful. Doesn't matter... the Organization has won. Sora can't oppose them anymore. I might as well just give up here._

 

 

Kairi sighed, falling to her knees and hanging her head in despair.

 

 

“This is it!? After all we went through, this is how it ends!?” She cried out to the blackness in a tired voice. “The Keyblade and the Heartless, the Princesses of Heart, being separated for a year... all for this?” The redhead didn't even know what she was doing, why she was screaming her frustrations out to nothing. Maybe she was just exhausted after today and couldn't do anything else.

 

 

_Maybe because if I don't scream at the darkness, I'd have to take it out on myself instead._

 

 

And even if she did have the will and strength to go on and find a way out, she had no means to do so. No Keyblade, no magic, an apparently powerful and sacred light that she couldn't activate except by a total fluke. She had nothing and she was all alone, left to die.

 

 

No... she wasn't alone. There was something else here... but nothing she wanted to see.

 

 

Piercing the veil of endless darkness were a pair of bright yellow eyes. Perfectly round and lacking pupil or iris, they shone clearly through the haze like lantern lights. And then another pair appeared. And another, and another, and another.... And soon dozens upon dozens of yellow eyes were lighting up the darkness, all in front of her and slowly massing on her location.

 

 

The Heartless.

 

 

Panicked, Kairi instantly got up to her feet, staring in disbelief at the horde of monsters crawling out of the blackness, all coming for her. _This is how it ends._ Against all rational thought – there's no way she could outrun all of these Heartless, especially considering the fatigue she was experiencing – Kairi turned about and ran.

 

 

When she craned her head over her shoulder, she saw that the horde had stopped slowly advancing and had bolted to match her pace.

 

 

 _No. No. No! I didn't mean this... I didn't want to give up and end up like this._ Adrenaline surged through her body, emotional and physical exhaustion were an afterthought. She had to run, she had to fight, she had to survive. Somehow. _Please.... I didn't mean it! I have to keep going. For Sora's sake. He gave up everything, I have to do something with that sacrifice or else I'm wasting both my life and Sora's!_

 

 

Running blindly through the alien world, across the grey stone, even with her vision limited by the darkness. Every step she took, it revealed more of the path, growing narrower and narrower, but still allowing her enough room. Every step, every pit of stone revealed, it meant another second of life. So long as there was a road in front of her, she would keep running. She didn't want to give up. She didn't want to be useless.

 

 

The path suddenly came to an end, finishing in a sudden drop-off into the infinite abyss.

 

 

With her limited field of vision, it came out of nowhere and she almost ended up running off the road, barely managing to skid to a stop. She looked behind her, praying that the Heartless had, for some reason, given up on chasing her, but of course they hadn't. In fact, now there were so close to her, she could fully see them in all their monstrous glory. A mass of sleek, ink black bodies dotted by countless razor-sharp claws and horns.

 

 

And now, Kairi found herself in between a rock and a hard place. Either stay and be torn to shreds by the marauding horde of demons or plummet into the blackness, possibly falling forever, possibly to her death. Most likely to her death.

 

 

Slowly, the Heartless still gaining on her, closer and closer still, Kairi took shaky steps back. Adrenaline and courage and survival instinct had failed her and she was now reduced to the feeble, self-hating wreck she was. Her heels were hanging over the edge of the path.

 

 

_Mom, Riku.... Sora.... I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I... I'll miss all of you...._

 

 

One of the Heartless lunged into the air, talons reared back and ready to cleave right through her. At that moment, Kairi's heart caught in her throat and her whole body was paralysed. She couldn't move, she couldn't fall, just stand there stupidly and wait to die. The Heartless was an arm's length away from her, clawed hands inches away from ripping her to bits.

 

 

In a flash of light and a streak of blue, the Heartless was launched backwards in pain, it's body split in two before bursting into motes of darkness.

 

 

Once more, Kairi fell to her knees, breathing heavily and stunned. Every five minutes it seemed, she went from an emotional high to a low and then back up to a high. It was taking it's toll more on her than anything else. Still, she looked back up at the Heartless, knowing that one suddenly dieing wasn't her salvation, only to see another person standing where the Heartless had just died.

 

 

She was a breathtakingly gorgeous woman, tall and slender, with shortly cropped sapphire blue hair. Clad in a high-collared halter top and a corset wrapping around her lower torso – navy blue and black in colour – and twin belts crisscrossing over her chest, with black bike shorts and tall black stocking covering all most her entire leg, with only a little bit of skin left bare. Off-white bell sleeve detached from the rest of her clothing covered her arms, with blue and white cloth wrapped about her waist, and pointed and armoured boots covering her feet, she stood between the horde of Heartless and Kairi, her stance belying both raw power and undeniable grace and elegance.

 

 

But, most importantly, in her hand was a weapon shaped like a very plain and ordinary skeleton key: a Keyblade.

 

 

“Whoever you are, please stay back. I'll handle this.” The female Keyblade warrior advised Kairi, authoritative by gentle. She turned back to nod at the redhead, who could only stare blankly and stupidly. However, now that she could see the woman's face, Kairi had a ping of familiarity hit her. She could have sworn that she'd seen this woman before....

 

 

The Heartless did not take the fact that their prey had been denied from them, or that one of their mortal enemies had appeared. They continued their advanced, but the blue-haired woman was not to be stopped so easily. Holding her Keyblade out, she launched a flurry of attacks: balls of fire, shards of ice, rays of lightning, they all darted across the field, striking their targets with perfect accuracy. Each magic strike didn't just eliminate one Heartless, but multiple ones in a single burst; icy, fiery, and electrical explosions ripping through the hordes at a frightening pace.

 

 

Still, however, the Heartless continued to assail the two, pouring through the veil of darkness that obscured their vision. To her credit, the woman was not to be daunted either, as she switched her tactics, charging headlong into the horde. In a display of grace and acrobatic ability the Keyblade bearer began to leap and dart and cartwheel through the army, cutting a swath of destruction through the dark demons. Annihilating one after another with lightning quick, brutal sword strokes.

 

 

Her blinding agility made it next to impossible to keep track of, as she was never in the same spot for longer than a second or two. Sliding to the left, Keyblade stretched out and laying waste to what must of been eight of the creatures during the move alone. Cartwheeling forward to avoid being surrounded, ending the dodge with a spinning attack so powerful it produced an actual whirlwind, hurtling the Heartless around her in every which direction. She then did a high backflip through the air, raining down more magic spells to devastate the enemy, before touching down near Kairi again. She then rose up onto the ball of her right foot, kicking out with her left leg to build momentum, slowly building into a fast spinning pirouette – wielding the Keyblade with both hands, stretched high in the air. As the pirouette began to build to an inhuman speed, a bright aura of light shone about the woman, brighter and bright as she span faster and faster. Not before long, spheres of light began to launch off her spinning body, each orb arcing through the air towards the Heartless, striking them and erupting into a massive explosion that tore through the mob with alarming speed.

 

 

As the blue-haired woman began to slowly wind down from the pirouette, most of the Heartless had been destroyed, with only a few remaining, and those were clearly smart enough to not approach her with such low numbers. The mysterious woman kept her eyes trained on where the Heartless would be coming from, steely gaze seeming to pierce the blackness.

 

 

“Miss!” Kairi chose now to run up to the Keyblade bearer during the lull in the action, approaching her from the right side.

 

 

“Please, stay back!” The woman pleaded, shooting out her to prevent Kairi from passing any further. She turned to face Kairi. “There's still more of them, and I can't protect you if you get ahead of me.”

 

 

Kairi gently place her hand on the guard of the woman's Keyblade. “No... I mean, I know... it's just.... Have we ever met before, miss?” Kairi looked up hopefully at the woman, the sensation she was feeling was too strong to be a coincidence. She must have met this woman at sometime in the past.

 

 

For her part, the blue-haired Key bearer looked down at Kairi, squinting at the girl, clearly trying to remember. “Wait...” Her eyes widened in realization. “You... are you that-”

 

 

Without warning, a bright light blinded the two girls, forcing both of them to step away from each other. As the blindness faded away, their seemed to be some sort of ray of solid light gripped in Kairi's right hand, and it seemed to have a mind of it's own, as it was tugging her away from the Keyblade warrior and towards the precipice.

 

 

“Wait! What's going on?” Kairi tugged hard on the ray of light, but it would not relent in dragging her to the edge of the stone path. She tried to open her hand to drop it, but it seemed her entire right arm had shut down and was no longer obeying her thoughts. The other woman looked to Kairi's struggle, seeming to realize what was happening.

 

 

“It'll be okay.” She called out, reassuringly. The ray was now trying to lift Kairi upwards while also dragging her off the platform; standing on her tiptoes at the very edge of the abyss. The redhead looked back with a confused look. “I know it seems odd, but that will take you to safety. Just let it light your way. Trust me.” More Heartless began to pour towards the two.

 

 

“B-but what about you?” Kairi was almost gone, just barely able to struggle to stay on the ground.

 

 

“Don't worry. I'll be okay.” The woman turned back to her enemies, ready for another wave. “Also, my name is Aqua.” Aqua turned back to smile at Kairi. “It was nice seeing you again.”

 

 

“Aqua, we – WOAH!”

 

 

Finally, Kairi could hold on for no longer, as the ray lifted her off the ground, accelerating to fantastic speeds as she zoomed headlong into blackness for the second time today. This time, however, Kairi had a feeling deep down that wherever she ended up, she would be better off. She would be okay.

 

 

The light would show her the way.

 


	2. Where Do We Go From Here?

**Where Do We Go From Here?**

 

 

“What a sight. Look like you're the lazy bum this time, Kairi.”

 

 

Following being throw into the unknown (again), Kairi must have blacked out entirely, as she couldn't remember a thing after meeting the blue-haired woman, Aqua, and the Light appearing in her hand. Finally, though, after an indeterminate amount of time, she did began to stir, consciousness and sensation returning to her. As she groaned slightly, she could feel a comfortable feeling of warmth and soft around her, so it seemed her situation had improved from infinite blackness, cold stone, and an army of Heartless. Slowly, her eyes began to flutter open, herself wincing from the bright light inhabiting wherever she was, and, slowly, through her blurry vision she saw.... Sora!?

 

 

Maybe it had all be a horrible nightmare, or Sora had saved her at the last moment, or the Light had saved both her and Sora. That, somehow, she was whisked away from danger and was now resting at home in her warm bed or on Sora's ship, with the most wonderful person she had ever met watching over her.

 

 

Maybe everything was going to be okay.

 

 

“Sora...?” She ventured hopefully in a dry, croaking voice.

 

 

“Sora? You must be seeing things.” Her vision began to adjust to the light and focus, revealing clearly who was in front of her. It _was_ a man with spiky hair, but he was older, his hair was blond, and instead of rising upwards like a crown, his spikes were parted left, right, and backwards around his head. “The name's Cloud.”

 

 

“Oh...” Kairi sank downwards, deflated and crestfallen. She did, however, take notice of where she had wound up. It was a small but rather well furnished bedroom, with hardwood floors, a large wardrobe to her left, an old but soft-looking sofa to her right (and something she couldn't quite identified sitting across it), and herself lying in a large, queen-sized bed, with comforters and blankets and pillows piled high around her. _Just where am I? And this Cloud guy.... Can I trust him?_

 

 

For his part, Cloud had barely taken notice to her, instead opening up the only door in the room (which seemed to be at the end of hallway). “Hey, everyone. She's woken up.” The blond man called down the hall to someone. A few moments later, Kairi could hear what must have been several people all coming down the room, all of them pouring in to the now cramped space.

 

 

Six people in total had entered the room to join her and Cloud, however, Kairi did vaguely recall the group, much to her relief.

 

 

“Wait... you guys, I remember you. Last year, from Traverse Town.” She pointed to a man with short-cropped brown hair and a diagonal scar running across his nose, “Leon.” To a young woman only a few years older than her, with black hair cut in a page style, “Yuffie.” Another woman, around Leon's age, light brown hair bound in a long braid, “Aerith.” A pair of older men; one with a windburned, crinkled face and blond hair, and the other with a wizened look and a long white beard, “Cid and Merlin.” And then to a woman with long, raven-black hair, “...I'm sorry, I don't think we've ever met.”

 

 

“I'm Tifa.” The woman said, offering her hand, which Kairi shook. “And don't worry, I wasn't around much last year.”

 

 

Kairi nodded before turning to Leon. “So, does that mean I'm on Traverse Town? How did I even get here?”

 

 

“Not Traverse Town. This is Hollow Bastion.” He corrected. Upon seeing the alarmed look on Kairi's face, he explained further. “We retook it after Sora defeated Maleficent. Rather, we're still in the process of retaking and repairing it.”

 

 

“And even more repairin' on out plates, what with that darn Organization messin' everything up and wreakin' havoc today.” Cid complained in his heavy southern drawl.

 

 

“As for how you got here, well, we were gonna ask you that honestly.” Leon said. “We were just surveying the damage done to the city after the Heartless attack, and all of sudden there was this shooting star that crashed town in the middle of town square. When we went to investigate... there you were.”

 

 

“It actually took us a while to recognize you. You've grown up quite a bit.” Aerith added, smiling gently at the younger girl.

 

 

“Well, I was thrown into that dark place, surrounded by Heartless. The the Light appeared in my hand, and it dragged my off further into the darkness, then... I woke up here. That's it.” Kairi muttered. The redhead shook her head, hand pressed on her forehead. She still felt extremely groggy and out of it.

 

 

“Dark place? Light? What are you talking about?” Leon looked at her with narrowed eyes. “Shouldn't you be back on your home world, anyway? I know you probably miss Sora, but... speaking of, we have no idea where he, Donald, or Goofy went to. They just vanished mid-way through the battle.”

 

 

At that moment, the horror of the situation hit Kairi again and the fog surrounding her mind cleared up. “Oh... that... I know what happened to Sora, everyone.” She quickly explained how she initially got off-world, encounter the strange yellow dog and Axel, blindly stumbling through the corridor to Twilight Town. Her double kidnapping by two opposing parties (still a pathetic and painful memory for her) and subsequent short imprisonment.

 

 

“And then, I was taken out of my cell to some sort of meeting room. All of the Organization members were there, even the higher-ups I had never seen.... And Sora was there, too.” Kairi hung her head in shame, long red hair shielding whatever was still visible as well to hide the fact that tears were welling up in her eyes. “He was there because he was offered a deal... his freedom for mine.” She swallowed, gripping the top layer of blanket. “He took it. He's their prisoner now.”

 

 

“He didn't!” Leon blurted out in shock. Some of the others gasped or muttered curses, but Kairi didn't want to look up. Even if she wasn't crying like the little useless girl she was, she didn't want to face anyone at this moment.

 

 

Kairi nodded at Leon's exclamation. “All my fault... it's all my fault...”

 

 

“It's not, sweetie. Don't keep saying that.” Aerith came to sit on the edge of the bed, as Kairi continued to mutter in a mantra of despair. The older woman put her hands onto Kairi's shoulders, gently massaging them. “This is what Sora does. This is the kind of person he is. Especially when it comes to you.”

 

 

Kairi began to push her hair back, wiping away the tears on her comforter. Her face was beet red, mostly from embarrassment. She offered a small “Thank you” and was in return given a kind smile from Aerith, where Tifa handed her a tissue for her eyes.

 

 

Meanwhile, the remainder of the group were discussing the new information amongst themselves. “...And I suppose we can extrapolate what happened after this... prisoner exchange.” Merlin said to the others, while stroking his beard as he was wont to do when deep in thought. “She was 'released' in a sense, clearly not to safety as Sora had intended. The poor girl ended up in that 'dark place' until this so-called 'Light' rescued her and brought her back here.”

 

 

“Though it still doesn't explain where that Keyblade came from.” Leon returned. The brunet seemed extremely on edge after learning about Sora's actions, pinching the bridge of his nose at various points, or sighing in frustration.

 

 

Kairi looked up to him after dabbing her eyes dry and wiping her nose. “K-Keyblade?” Leon replied by motion towards the sofa and the strange object sitting across it. It certainly was a Keyblade, now that Kairi gave it a good eye, though it was particularly bright, showy, and effeminate. The actual blade was a gradient of colour from light gold at the base, to deep, dark red at the tip, resembling that of a sunset. The curved hilt was divided into two different designs, one half looking like a breaking wave, while the other was simply a sand-coloured curve that eventually wound it's way past the guard and all the way to the end of the blade, like a vine. At the end of the sandy vine the Keyblade exploded outward in a bright bouquet of flowers, that formed the teeth of the weapon. Finally, a length of red silk extended from the pommel, ending with a token shaped like a yellow paopu fruit.

 

 

“Who's is that?” Kairi ventured, very confused at it's appearance.

 

 

“Yours.” Leon stated plainly, startling the teenager who was now staring at him with a slacken jaw and wide eyes. She tried to sputter out a refusal, but Leon only walked around the room to the Keyblade and picked it up. He gave it a single, slow practice swing before it vanished in a flash of light. A moment later, an exact, identical burst of light appeared before Kairi, and the Keyblade was now clutched in her right hand.

 

 

Once more, the girl started, even more so than the first time, almost falling out of bed. “This...this... I can't do this!” Kairi exclaimed. “I can't be a Keyblade bearer! This... this isn't me... I'm no fighter, no warrior, no hero! I'm useless....”

 

 

The room went deathly silent as Kairi continued to stare in utter disbelief at what was in her hand. At what had happened. Eventually, Leon marched over to the side of her bed, grabbing on to her upper arms and looking in her directly in the eye.

 

 

“Kairi, I'm not going to sugarcoat this for you.” He began. His voice was clear, direct, and earnest, all of which were reflected in her eyes. Kairi couldn't bring herself to look away or interrupt. “This is... an absolutely dire situation. Not as bad as when Sora started, but.... Our enemy is powerful, our resources are low, and all of our heroes are gone. Sora is captured, no one has heard a word of your friend Riku in the past year, and the King is missing again. You're our last hope. You have to stand up and take Sora's place and fight the Organization.”

 

 

Kairi knew what Leon was going to tell her, and it still hit her like a tidal wave. She sank down into the pillows propped up behind her, staring blankly back at the older man, all words failing her. _How can I do that?_ She wanted to say, to rant. Everything was overwhelming her and she was losing control again, just like when she entered the dark place and screamed into the blackness. She wanted to scream at nothing to prevent her from screaming at herself. _There's no way someone like me could ever match up with the Heartless. The Nobodies._ Just thinking of the fearsome aura the Organization member cultivated for herself, trying to envision herself facing them down with Keyblade in hand and a steely look of a warrior. It was one of the most absurd things she had ever imagined. _I'm not Sora, or Riku, or Aqua... I'm nothing._

 

 

Kairi wanted to say all those things, but, her mouth entirely dry and hanging open like a total idiot, all she could manage was a weak, “I can't...”

 

 

“You can.” Yuffie spoke up from the back of the group. “Like Squall said,” that earned her a glare from Leon, “Sora was faced with a similar situation last year. He didn't know how to fight, his friends were missing, thrown into all of this, the enemies were powerful and had tons of footholds and territory on him. But he fought. Despite all of that, he got up and left Traverse Town and _he saved everyone!_ And you know, that if this situation were reversed, if you were the hero the first time around and Sora was the dude in distress and he had to step up to save you... he would do it in a heartbeat. No questions asked.” The girl finished up by serving up Kairi a disparaging and disappointed glare, which was slightly hamstrung by her petite frame, but the point was clear none the less.

 

 

_She's right. Completely right._ Kairi thought, while pressing her hand to her forehead, deeply embarrassed. She had made a complete idiot out of herself with that display. _Sora wouldn't care about how weak he was, he would only care about his friends being in trouble and trying to save them._ Then why couldn't she? Why was her first response when confronted with something like this was to crumble into a weeping mess? _Do I not care about Sora as much as I thought I did? Or I am just so consumed in self-loathing that I can never focus on anything else?_

 

 

The redhead was now acutely aware that everyone in the room was staring at her expectantly.

 

 

“I... I'm terrified at what's going to happen.” She lifted her arm, which was trembling like a leaf in the wind. Her voice was similarly weak and shaky “But... you're all right. I'm the only one who can do this. I have to get past this, and be like Sora.” Kairi looked up at the assembled group and said in much stronger and firmer tone, “I have to fight.”

 

 

“Well, I'm certainly glad to hear that.” Came a high-pitched voice that didn't belong to anyone currently in the room. “And they're right, Sora face difficult odds, but rose to occasion. I'm certain you will, too.”

 

 

The others parted away from the door frame, the direction where the voice was heard, to reveal a short, anthropomorphic mouse-man with comically large, round ears.

 

 

“Your Majesty?” Leon exclaimed in confusion. “Where did you come from? You vanished near the end of the Organization's invasion.”

 

 

“Leon, please, it's just Mickey. I'm more comfortable with that.” King Mickey said, walking into the room. “As for what happened to me, Sora and I ran into the Organization's leader, Xemnas. I chased after him through a corridor of darkness, following him from world to world, but I eventually lost the trail, so I worked my way back here to figure out what our next move should be.” The mouse king had walked all the way to Kairi's left side. “It looked like I missed quite a bit in the past few hours.”

 

 

“What did you overhear between us?” Cloud asked.

 

 

“Mostly everything, starting with Kairi explaining what happened to Sora.” Mickey then looked suddenly despondent. “Donald and Goofy were with him. The Organization must have gotten rid of them before they took Sora, I do hope they're okay...” He shook his head and sighed, before turning to face Kairi. “Hello, Kairi, I'm Mickey Mouse of the Kingdom of Disney. I know you probably don't remember, but we have met before.”

 

 

“We have...?” Kairi wracked her brain through her poor, broken memory. She was drawing nothing and, unlike Aqua, there was no ping of remembrance striking her heart. “I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I can't remember. But it is a pleasure to meet you acquaintance.” She had always been taught to show proper amount of respect to people of power and importance. That well-learned habit had pushed through even considering the situation she was in. “I just wish the circumstances were better.”

 

 

“As do I. And please, I don't like to be addressed like a King outside of my kingdom. Just, Mickey, please.”

 

 

“Okay, Mickey.” She nodded, before blurting out. “So... you'll be helping me fight the Organization right? You and Sora's companions? Donald and Goofy?” The redhead was once again extremely hopeful about this possibility. Sora's companions clearly had some skill and power to be able to stay with him every step of the way, and apparently Mickey was even stronger, if he felt like he could face off with the Superior of the Nobodies.

 

 

However, once again, her hopes were quickly dashed as a grim look spread across the mouse-man's face. “I'm afraid... that I can't.” Kairi deflated once more. “I've never been good at playing the hero role, I always end up messing up. Especially ten years ago... Besides that, I do have to find Donald and Goofy, and they could be anywhere. And I've already confirmed my mission before coming here: I need to find an entryway into the Organization's stronghold. That's the only way we can end this entire struggle.”

 

 

Kairi just nodded. “I understand.... So, does that mean Leon and the others? Some of you are going to join me?” She looked about half as hopeful as she had to the King. And once again...

 

 

Leon winced, clearly knowing what he would say would hurt the girl. “Kairi... we can't. I'd like to, but the seven of us are more or less the only one's keeping Hollow Bastion together. The castle needs to be cleared out, as does over half the city. And that's not even getting to the wilderness. And... if that were just the case, I would certainly lend you two of us, but with the recent invasion and the damage it caused... we just spent ten years reclaiming our home, and I don't want to risk losing it.”

 

 

“So... I'm all alone? I have to do this by myself?”

 

 

“No, we'll definitely figure something out.” Tifa said, trying to raise Kairi's spirits after her hope had been crushed twice in less than a minute. “Sora wouldn't be anywhere without his friends, so there's no way we're throwing you into the deep end without some support.”

 

 

“Speaking of Sora,” came the King. “Kairi, did you hear why the Organization took Sora captive?” She nodded and recalled the speech the Superior made.

 

 

“Yes, their boss said that... Sora was needed to destroy Heartless, and that would free their hearts and they'd use it to make-”

 

 

“Kingdom Hearts.” Mickey interrupted, earning another nod from the newly minted Keyblade bearer. “That's what I feared.” He turned to Leon. “Is there a computed I can used somewhere?” When Leon responded in the affirmative, motioning to the open door, the King continued. “If everyone would follow me, there's some info I found in Ansem the Wise's old files. I never got the chance to share it with Sora today, so I think now is a good time to explain to everyone.” The King then left down the hallway, everyone streaming out behind him, single file.

 

 

Kairi kicked off the thick layer of blankets, taking her first steps out of bed since waking up. Her legs felt like rubber, but she still managed, waving off Aerith who had offered her support to lean on. She did, however, lean in towards Merlin (who was next to last in the line) and asked, “Who is Ansem the Wise?”

 

 

“The last leader of this world before it fell, serving as Lord Regent.” The wise elder explained. “The Heartless that was behind everything last year was the Heartless of his apprentice who had stolen his name.” He paused and then added, “If I recall correctly, he was your great uncle.” Which earned a silent acknowledgement from Kairi, who was starting to piece a bit of her past together.

 

 

The group all followed Mickey into a small office where a normal, everyday desktop computer sat on a table. The mouse king plugged a memory stick into the tower and began to fiddle around on the keyboard, before a window popped up, displaying several lines of text at a ridiculously small font. The King began to quickly scroll through the file.

 

 

“When Ansem the Wise and his apprentices were researching the Heartless, they came across an old tome which described the Realm of Darkness.” The King began, still scrolling at a rapid pace, tiny text blurring together. “Specifically, it focused on a kind of stone only found in that Realm. I've encountered it before, too, so I can verify that the tome must have had some truth to it.” Mickey finally stopped scrolling, stopping on not a page of text, but an image of a tall obelisk of stone. It was pitch black, with strange, alien “veins” or bright red and blue running throughout it. “It's called Blackheart Stone, and, when placed on a world, it makes it easier for the Heartless to materialize on that world, as well as drawing them to the world like a magnet.”

 

 

“And let me guess, the Organization has been harvesting this stone, placing it on different worlds in order to flood them with Heartless?” Leon ventured.

 

 

“...And that way Sora would be fighting more Heartless, so they can finish forging Kingdom whatever earlier?” Yuffie finished for her friend.

 

 

“And now that Sora is being forced to work for them, it'll be even easier...” Kairi added.

 

 

“All correct.” Mickey surmised. He closed the file and popped out the memory stick. “So, Kairi, while I'm looking for a way into their castle, you'll travel to the worlds that have Blackheart Stones and destroy them. Like the Heartless, they can only be destroyed by a Keyblade. Also, and this is important, they are inert in the Realm of Darkness, but after a time in this Realm, they become active, and they react badly when touched by anything other than a Keyblade. Regardless, destroying them will slow down the creation of their Kingdom Hearts, as well reducing the threats to the various worlds and their inhabitants. Also, hopefully, in doing this, you'll get enough training and experienced to be able to defeat the Nobodies once we finally do invade.”

 

 

“Okay... I suppose I can do that.” Kairi replied. “Seems easy enough. I mean, what kind of fight can a rock put up?”

 

 

“Well, that's the thing.” Mickey said, hesitantly. “According to that old tome, the Stones and Heartless are deeply connected and, when threatened, the Stone can summon a powerful Guardian Heartless. But, I can't tell you if that's true or not. I never tried to destroy one.” Kairi let out a tiny squeak of fear.

 

 

Aerith swooped in quickly in, once more putting her hands on Kairi's shoulders to calm her “We can worry about all that tomorrow. About getting you equipment, and a ship, and a support team. It's late, and you need some rest. Also, I take it you're hungry.” It hadn't occurred to her since waking up, but the moment the woman verbalized, it Kairi felt absolutely famished. She nodded, resulting in a motherly pat from Aerith. “Alright then. Go back to bed, and I'll get you some dinner. Then, you should get a good night's sleep.”

 

 

As Kairi shuffled back off to the bedroom, Leon declared to everyone. “That's probably a good idea for everyone. You're help has been greatly appreciated, but it's been a long day. Go home and get some sleep. We'll reconvene in the morning and try and sort this out.”

 

 

That proved agreeable to the group, who all muttered their goodbyes and went their separate ways, save for Leon, Mickey, and Tifa – who was hanging back what the other two conversed.

 

 

“...You're not just looking for a way in to their fortress, aren't you?” Leon asked after being absolutely sure Kairi was back in her room.

 

 

“Good to see your still so sharp, Leon.” Mickey offered with a smile. Leon remained as serious as always. “I am. I'm going to try to find someone who can answer everything that's going on. Ansem the Wise, the renegade Nobody Axel, Riku...”

 

 

“Ansem's still alive?” Leon questioned. “And you know where Sora and Kairi's friend is?”

 

 

“I was sworn to secrecy from both of them, but yes.” He explained. “Ansem is no longer the kind and benevolent ruler I met all those years ago. He's bitter and vengeful. Going to any length to destroy Organization XIII...” Mickey sighed, shaking his head. Clearly what had happened to his friend was eating up at him. “He already... I think he already did something inhumane to one of the Organization's members. The only one with even a shred of goodness and innocence. But all that aside, he can still be of great assistance.”

 

 

“And Sora and Kairi's friend? What of him?” Tifa made her presence known, which earned an annoyed glare from Leon, but he said and did nothing.

 

 

“He's doing whatever he can to help Sora. But his pride and his history with the darkness has caused him to go into isolation. I told him a dozen times to go fight alongside Sora directly or to go and find Kairi and tell her they were both safe, but.... Something happened to him a few months back. It changed him, it hurt him mentally and... I think it's killing him.” Mickey spent the entire explanation staring at Leon, but now his vision fell to the floor. “I'm very worried about him, but I don't know how to help him.”

 

 

The scarred man fell to one knee, putting a hand on Mickey's head. “You'll think of something.” Leon offered. “You or Sora or Kairi will find a way to help him. I have complete trust in the ability of those with Keyblades.” This earned a small smile from the mouse king.

 

 

“Thank you, Leon.”

 

 

“Don't mention it.” He stood back up to full height. “Before you go though, could you see if you can contact the three fairies who made Sora's new gear? I have a feeling Kairi and whoever she gets as a team could use something like that.”

 

 

“I'll contact Master Yen Sid as soon as I can. And I have something for you, too.” Mickey fished out another memory stick, passing it to Leon. “That contains a new radar program for Gummi Ships. Install it, and they will be able to pick up on Blackheart Stones while travelling through space.”

 

 

“Thank you. And good luck to you on your journey. We'll need it.” Mickey nodded again, before leaving the room. The sound of a door opening and shutting let Leon and Tifa know he was on his way and gone. “What a mess...” Leon sighed after Mickey had left. “I still have no idea what we're gonna do in terms of a party for her.”

 

 

Tifa came over and patted a hand onto one of his shoulders. “Don't worry, Leon. I have an idea.”

 

 

“I know you want to go yourself, Tifa, but that isn't happening.”

 

 

“Hey, I agree with you.” She replied, defensively. “Much as I do want to go, it's too chancy here for me to leave.” The black-haired woman paused. “No, I was thinking about those three we picked up two hours ago.”

 

 

“Them?” Leon looked at her as if she was crazy.

 

 

“Desperate times call for desperate measures and all that,” she retorted. “Besides, even if they were working for her, I don't think they are anywhere near that bad. They were just forced into it.”

 

 

Leon grunted. “I don't like this at all.... But we don't have a whole lot of options. Go send out feelers and I'll talk to Cid about working on something to keep them in line.”

 

 

“Already halfway there, boss!” Came Cid in the distant.

 

 

“Wait, what?” Leon said.

 

 

Tifa turned to the doorframe. “Yuffie, do you wanna join me?”

 

 

“You bet, Tif!” Came the chipper reply of the girl, hidden behind the doorway.

 

 

“What?” Leon said again. “I told you all to go home.”

 

 

Yuffie stepped out into plain sight. “And miss your juicy private conversation with the King? Forget about it.”

 

 

Leon facepalmed, growling. “Did everyone overhear what just happened?”

 

 

“I didn't hear the King saying Ansem the Wise was still alive.” Came Cloud's deadpan voice.

 

 

“Wow, are the walls paper-thin in this place?” Yuffie wondered aloud. “Aerith got screwed when we picked houses.” Leon just growled in frustration again.

 

 

Tifa waved off to the younger girl. “Come one, Yuffie. We've got some caged gulls to visit.”

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

“Man, this blows. How long do you guys think we're gonna be stuck here?” Asked a young woman with a high, very fast and chipper voice.

 

 

“Who knows? Probably forever. They did catch us working for their enemy.” Replied another woman, this one with a cold and flat voice.

 

 

“But we also fought against the Heartless. Look up you two, I'm certain we'll be out of here sooner than later.” The third speaker, also a woman, had a soft and airy voice.

 

 

“I guess it's not so bad.” Fast-talker chirped. “I mean, we're human again. That's a plus. It's been almost two years, I forgot how much better this was. Flying was neat, though.”

 

 

“See? Things are looking up.” Airy-voice continued. “The curse is broken, so once we get out of here, we'll finally be free to do what we want.”

 

 

“Unless this place has the death penalty.” Monotone woman brought up.

 

 

“Aah! Yunie~ Paine is scaring me. Make her stop!” Fast-talker wailed in fright.

 

 

“This isn't the time for hypotheticals like that.” 'Yunie' – the woman with the airy voice – said quickly. “We have to keep positive right now.”

 

 

“I'm not being positive or negative, Yuna. I'm being realistic.” Said Paine, the woman with the flat voice. “We were caught working for public enemy number one, and right now, there's no official government body, and therefore, they can most likely do whatever they please in the name of stabilizing the world. The three of us are in a lot of trouble, so we should prepare for the worse.”

 

 

“Stop being such a downer, Paine!” Fast-talker blurted out in exasperation.

 

 

“Only when you learn to channel all that energy and noise into something constructive, Rikku.”

 

 

“Meanie.” The fast-talker, Rikku, shot out even faster than her normal speed. Paine grunted noncommittally and Yuna sighed.

 

 

The three of them had gotten into quite a mess. All three of them were currently locked up in tiny, eight-by-eight, holding cells in an old police building in a part of Hollow Bastion that was still mostly in shambles and uninhabited by the small population of the city. Four hours ago, they had been fighting against wave after wave of Heartless in their tiny, fairy forms, before they were suddenly reverted to their human selves... without clothes. In the middle of a world where they were wanted fugitives. With no way to support themselves. No way to fight. And with no way off the world. It's no surprise then, when sneaking back into the city to steal some clothes, they were brought in for a petty theft and public indecency and then identified as the notorious Gullwings, the gang of thieves that also served as Maleficent's spy network. They were then thrown into this abandoned jail without a second thought and had been alone ever since, bickering amongst one another, worrying about their fate.

 

 

Rikku, a petite girl with richly tanned skin and blonde hair bound in an elaborate display of braids, all held back by an orange hairband, stood up from her bench and marched across her tiny cell and began shaking the bars madly. “Lemme out, lemme out, lemme out!” The girl shrieked. Despite their advanced age and the state of decay of the rest of the building, the bars held strong, barely budging. Frustration and anger burned through the blonde's bright green eyes.

 

 

“It's no use, Rikku.” Came Paine. The woman was older than both her companions, with dark red eyes, ghostly pale skin, and silver-grey hair, worn short and slightly up. “The building is empty and old, but the cells haven't rotted down a bit.” It was their rotten luck, of course. Especially considering that there sparse accommodations. No space, a hard wooden bench, and that's it. Not even a toilet or sink.

 

 

And, of course. “But I _reeeeeally_ have to use the bathroom, Paine...” Rikku whined in a quiet voice.

 

 

“Just try and hold it Rikku. Try not to think about it.” Yuna reassured her companion. Her skin was only lightly tanned, with brown hair cut in a sport bob. Most peculiar were her eyes; heterochromatic with one blue and the other the same shade of green as Rikku's. “Just...we'll be out soon. I know it.” Despite the lack of facilities, they had been given clothing; ill-fitting grey sweatpants and sweaters.

 

 

“You've been saying that since we got here, Yunie.”

 

 

“I know, but I know they will. They can't just leave us to rot here.”

 

 

“Or they could at least give us a toilet.”

 

 

“We could give them information on Maleficent. We could be useful to them.”

 

 

“Or at least a bucket or something. This is inhumane.”

 

 

“Things will get better, I know it.”

 

 

“Shhh.” Paine snapped, raising her voice only slightly. “Quiet. Everyone. Someone's coming.”

 

 

Yuna and Rikku hushed up, now overhearing a door closing as well as muffled voices. All three Gullwings got up and pressed up against the bars of their cells as the door to the holding room opened up, revealing the very two who had arrested them. The tall, strong-looking woman with long hair, and the annoying short-haired girl. They both walked to the centre of the room, eyeing the three captives.

 

 

“Evening, ladies.” Tifa said to the prisoners. “I was wondering how the three of you would feel participating in a little... work release program.”

 


	3. Meet The Party

**Meet The Party**

 

 

Faraway from the current events on the Organization's stronghold and the Radiant Garden, faraway from Sora's desperation and Kairi's despair, others who were in the know were trying to react to the bargain that shook the entire universe to it's core. Currently, three such people were crowded in a tiny, dimly lit basement, sequestered and bunkered deep beneath the idyllic and peaceful sun-drenched suburbs of Twilight Town. Electrical equipment and notes were scattered about in a chaotic manner in the otherwise spartan room, the only feature of note being the dozens of computers monitors stacked upon one another, currently providing the only light for the room's occupants, two tall, cloaked men and one small blonde-haired girl dressed in a plain white sundress and and air of melancholy around her. One man, his cloak being red with bandages and masks obscuring most of his face, sat before the myriad of screens, a large, almost impractical-looking keyboard spread out before him, furiously clacking away at the keys, while remaining utterly silent, something which did not go unnoticed.

 

 

“You've been awfully quiet for some time.” The other cloaked man observed, dressed in one of the Organization's black cloaks, the high hood pulled up and obscuring his entire head. Red Cloak responded with silence and the rapid clacking of computer keys. “What's going on. Tell us. You called me back here for something, but you haven't said a word in ten minutes.” Black Cloak's voice was a deep, booming baritone, strong and commanding.

 

 

Red Cloak once again remained intractable.

 

 

The blonde girl sat in a corner, equally as silent, but she busied herself by doodling in a sketch pad, only sparing nervous glances at the two Cloaks.

 

 

Black Cloak huffed, exhaling sharply, as he continued to glower through his hood. He looked up at the screen, most were displaying text that was in either an absurdly small font size or in alien languages he didn't understand. Others showed diagrams of various things; hearts, keys, armour, two young men, one Black Cloak had tried to save and the other he wish he had saved. The other monitors showed black and white video feed of various points in the Nobody's castle. Video feed without audio, that chugged and jumped and skipped in a manner as smooth as sandpaper, and was frequently consumed by static snow. He had released several robotic camera drones created by Red Cloak on a previous mission – a kidnapping he now deeply regretted – in order to spy on Organization XIII, but the eldritch location of the castle severely hampered the transmission, and even then, they were only able to receive the video feed on certain days at certain times of day. To the Black Cloak, the hassle and difficulty of it all made it seem rather pointless.

 

 

More minutes passed, with the only sound being the clacking of keys, the scratches of a pencil on paper, and Black Cloak's continually frustrated sighs. He continually watched the monitors for something to inform him of the gathering and Red Cloak's silence, and that's when he saw it. Two people he recognized, a teenaged boy and girl, in the heart of the Nobody's stronghold, surrounded by the five surviving members of the Organization. Black Cloak watched in growing horror and anger as the girl rushed up to embrace the boy, followed by an exchange of muted words, the girl's expression turning from elation to terror and despair, before she was dragged off-screen by one of the Nobodies.

 

 

“DiZ!” Black Cloak bellowed furiously, grabbing the seat of masked man's chair and dragging him away from the screens. He spun him about, glaring and fuming right in his face. “What is this!?” He pointed back to the monitors, many of which were now looping the events that had set him off. The blonde girl had stopped drawing and was now focused on the two men, watching with large, fearful blue eyes. “Why am I seeing Sora and Kairi in the Nobody's fortress?” Tell me now!” DiZ's orange eyes remained still and emotionless through the tirade.

 

 

“That,” he pushed Black Cloak's hand away from him, before spinning about back to the computer system, “is why I have called you here. As far as I can tell from our video surveillance and the energy readings on the Hollow Bastion, Sora was either kidnapped or forced into a bargain with the Organization and taken to their castle. Considering, however, that the girl was released, I would argue that a bargain was struck.” DiZ's voice was impassive and utterly without emotion. It was a quirk that infuriated Black Cloak in situations like these.

 

 

“W-what... What kind of bargain?”

 

 

“Most likely her freedom in exchange for becoming complicit in their plans. I should have expected this, the boy is far too nice for his own good. Always selflessly putting others before himself, a terrible pawn all in all.” DiZ explained in a cold and straightforward manner. Black Cloak bristled. He knew DiZ didn't care about anyone else, only his plan and his revenge, but to flagrantly display it at a time like this. “All in a all, this puts a massive wrench in my plan. No tool for revenge, no obstacle for the Organization, and now an impressive gain in their strategy.

 

 

“Never mind that, what happened to Kairi? How did they even find her? Tell me you can find her.” Black Cloak demanded. He was hot. Fuming. DiZ had already worn his patience thin, and now, with this news and DiZ's reactions to it only further incited his anger. DiZ only showed a small, mocking smile.

 

 

“Calm yourself, would you. You're making a disgrace of yourself.” DiZ returned to typing “The spell that sent her to your islands a decade ago also masks her presence as a Princess of Heart. It also make locating and travelling to that world exceptionally difficult, usually you'd only be able to find it by sheer luck. This is why it took so long for the Heartless to locate her and why the Organization didn't immediately take her hostage. However, the spell works in a unique symbiosis. It only masks her light when on the island and only shields the islands when she is on them. It is my hypothesis that she either found her way off the islands, or, more likely, a Nobody wandered onto them via dumb luck.”

 

 

DiZ finished typing, motioning to one of the main monitors, which was now displaying a map of a city with a tiny radar blip flashing on it. “As I said, I was monitoring the world you know as Hollow Bastion, but I know it as my home, the Radiant Garden. The Organization launched a massive attack on it today and I kept track of the various energy readings. Several corridors of darkness transporting those to and from the world. The dark fae, Maleficent, appeared and then vanished, but not through a corridor. She is most likely deceased. Then, the unique readings of the Keyblade vanished – Sora being whisked away by the Nobodies. However, shortly before you arrived, a very unique energy appeared out of blue on the world. A combined Princess of Heart and Keyblade bearer signature.” He turned to face Black Cloak. “Most likely your friend Kairi.”

 

 

Black Cloak only shook his head in disbelief. “A Keyblade? That makes no sense, where did she even get one?”

 

 

“That is a trivial matter to me. I do not care how she came to have it, only that she does. We no longer have to scramble for a new strategy, simply change our current one.” DiZ stood up and began to slowly cross the room towards the quiet blonde girl. “Travel to Hollow Bastion and retrieve her for me. I will prepare for the experiment. The same one we performed on Sora and his Nobody.”

 

 

The blonde girl stood up from in seat in a start, backing away, her eyes fleeting between DiZ and Black Cloak, a pleading look directed at the latter. Answering, Black Cloak imposed himself between DiZ and the girl, roughly pushing him back.

 

 

“You're going to forcibly merge Kairi and Namine, just what you did to Sora and Roxas?” DiZ nodded at the rhetorical question, causing Black Cloak to tense again. “Absolutely not! That experiment did nothing! Sora didn't wake up any faster and he didn't grow any stronger because of it.”

 

 

“Yes, the experiment failed, but there is nothing to suggest it was an utter failure. We may still see acceptable results between the girl and the witch over there.” DiZ explained in his extremely robotic, sterile way. If an observer didn't know better, they would swear he was speaking of inorganic, inanimate things instead of actual people.

 

 

“Some would say that's the definition of insanity.” Black Cloak growled back.

 

 

“Spare me your witticisms, you pathetic husk of a man.” DiZ fired back, finally showing a little emotion. A mix of annoyance and mockery. “You collected the Nobody boy without any hesitation, like a good little lapdog, now you've grown a conscious?”

 

 

“Yes! What I did to Roxas was wrong and I regret it everyday. There's certainly no way I'll go through it again and I'm definitely not forcing it onto her.” He looked over his shoulder to the blond, Namine, and gave her a reaffirming nod, trying to boost her spirits.

 

 

This only made DiZ laugh coldly. “You've grown a sense of morality and have grown fond of the witch? You're absolutely pathetic 'Ansem'.” Another laugh. “Running from your past, yourself; even after a journey of self discovery you still hide behind that pseudonym and guise. Riku... on second thought, you and that miserable, trembling witch belong together.”

 

 

“DiZ! I swear –” Black Cloak caught himself, clenching one hand into a fist. “...If you call her that one more time, you will pay.”

 

 

Yet another bark of taunting laugher. “In the worthless state you're in, you can't achieve anything. Now, hand over the witch and –”

 

 

Black Cloak's hand shot out, palm spread open, and a black and violet fireball rocketed across the space between him and DiZ. It struck the masked man and blasted him off his feet, launching him straight into the cluster of computer monitors with tremendous impact. They cracked and shattered, sputtering sparks, as DiZ tumbled down across the keyboard and onto the floor with a hard _crash_.

 

 

“Riku!” Namine ran forth to the black cloaked man, whipping her head about wildly. She was afraid. Confused. Panicked. Slightly relieved. “What are you doing?”

 

 

“Something I should have done a long time ago...” Riku muttered ruefully. He waved his arm and a corridor of darkness sprang into existence. “Come on, we're leaving. There's no way that I'm letting him use you for his crackpot science experiments.” He stepped towards the portal, but Namine remained stationary, staring over at DiZ and his computers. The older man stirred slightly, groaning loudly in pain. “Namine. Please. I know I've done terrible things to you. What I did to Roxas, forcing you to stay and work here.... But I want to do right by you. I want to protect you.”

 

 

Namine turned back to him, eyes downcast at the floor. “No... I do trust you, it's just... I wish that we could do something. To help Kairi.”

 

 

“I do too, trust me. But in this state, I don't know of what use I am to anyone.” Riku sighed, dejected. “I failed Roxas, I failed Sora, I may have failed Kairi already.... I don't want to fail you, again.” He felt something clutch at his right hand, seeing that Namine was holding it in between both of hers.

 

 

“There's still hope... You can make it up to Sora and Kairi. And Roxas....” Namine trailed off, unsure of what to say, whether to lie or tell the hard truth or to just offer some vague platitude. She bit her lip, looking away and back at DiZ. “We should go.”

 

 

Riku nodded, and the two vanished into darkness, their fates and own feelings about each other unknown, but, hopefully to someplace better than their lodgings the past year.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Kairi woke up the next morning groggy, with stiff and sore limbs, and absolutely famished, and this was despite her wolfing down every bit of food put in front of her last night and sleeping for almost twelve hours.

 

 

_Running and cowering and panicking exhausts me, and I think that I can take on the Organization. This is going to end well...._

 

 

A long, hot shower helped wake Kairi up and eased the soreness in her arms and legs away. The warm cascade of water running down, combined with the gentle, clean aroma of the soap and shampoo allowed herself to shake away the doubts that ran through her head, trying to counter the previous rueful assessment of herself. Splashing water across her face, she exhaled. “Okay. Okay. I can't think like that. No more psyching myself out, beating myself down. Like Yuffie and Leon said, Sora did this. Sora only knew his little kiddy spar fighting and he got stronger and stronger, but he even started out weak and untrained. Maybe even afraid like me. Just... baby steps. That's all I have to remember. I'll... I'll be okay.”

 

 

She shut off the water, quickly drying herself off and dressing in her one pair of clothes. By this point in time, the scent of soap and shampoo had dispelled and Kairi could smell something alluring and delicious. Her stomach roared in response, with Kairi wasting no time in heeding the call after combing her still damp hair, heading down the hall to the kitchen, where she was greet by Aerith, Tifa, and an absurdly delectable-looking breakfast laid out before her.

 

 

While Aerith had been the one to offer Kairi emotional support and dinner last night and even gave up her own bed to Kairi, the young woman had learned that the home she was currently occupying was shared by the two women, who were old childhood friends, though Aerith jokingly told Kairi the living arrangement only worked because of Tifa's cooking. Looking at the spread before her, Kairi could see Aerith putting up with her roommate even if they were archenemies just to have access to this food. The everyday staple breakfast foods were well represented, hot and cold cereal and a tall stack of toast, stuff that normally Kairi would eat but would never crave, but in her famished state it looked incredible. But then her eyes fell on the real good stuff. The foodstuffs she would only normally have on the weekends when she had time to sit and enjoy breakfast. A platter of bacon and sausages, still audibly crackling and visibly steaming; golden, flaky hash-brown patties; a ridiculous amount of fruit, all of which looked perfectly ripe and fresh: apples, pears, nectarines, strawberries, bananas, bunches of grapes, and plump, dark red cherries almost as large as her thumb. There was even several croissants, bagels, muffins, and other scrumptious pastries. All in all, it caused Kairi to forget about everything but the hear and now, the sight and smell of the feast, the redhead practically drooling.

 

 

“You know, it's even better if you eat it instead of stare.” Kairi snapped out of her reverie to see and hear a giggling Aerith sitting at the table. The kind and sweet woman was drinking a cup of coffee, only picking at some scraps on her plate. “And good morning, by the way.” Tifa was at the stove top, cooking eggs in a large skillet.

 

 

“Uh... good morning. Sorry.” Kairi bowed slightly before taking her seat. She looked between her two hostesses before asking, “Are you two going to eat?”

 

 

“We already have, Kairi. You were asleep for sometime.” Aerith explained, which earned a blush from the teenager. “But, please, eat as much as you want.” Kairi jumped at the offer, piling a nearby plate full of food. When that plate was crowded full, she did the same to another, as well as grabbed a bowl of oatmeal.

 

 

“How would you like your eggs, by the way?” Tifa called out over the din of Kairi scrambling for food.

 

 

“Either sunny-side up or scrambled. Either or.” Kairi reached over to grab a pitcher of milk and another of apple juice, pouring herself a glass of each. She then surveyed the table once more, seeing that even with all of her rampant gluttony there was barely a dent made in the feast. “Um... beg your pardon, but don't you think you made a little too much?”

 

 

Tifa turned over to her to deposit two perfectly cooked sunny-side up eggs onto one of Kairi's plates “For the three of us? Yes. Though, I see you can really pack it away.” She laughed, which earned another blush from Kairi. “But, we'll normally get all sorts of stragglers within the hour looking for food. Yuffie and Cid mostly. Sometimes Cloud. They know I make too much food and are always on a prowl for a free meal, so it never goes to waste.”

 

 

Kairi nodded, before thanking her hosts from the food and then digging in, gorging herself on the absolutely delicious breakfast. For nearly a half hour, Kairi sustained her feast, relishing every single bite of food. To their credit, Tifa and Aerith were polite around the ravenous girl, mostly talking quietly to themselves and never giving Kairi anything else other than a wry smile, as the slight, slender girl took in more calories in a sitting than most professional athletes do in a single day.

 

 

“So, we do have everything ready for you.” Aerith finally brokered as Kairi's hunger slowed down. The girl was using a piece of wheat toast to sop up a puddle of egg yolk, ketchup, and bacon grease. Stuffing it all in her mouth, she washed it all down with the last remaining dregs of the milk. “When you're ready, we'll head to our Central Command for final preparations.”

 

 

Kairi finally managed to gulp down the too-large mass of food. “So... you found someone to join me? A party?” Tifa nodded in confirmation. “That's certainly a relief.” She paused, fiddling with her fork, before quickly asking, “Who are they? What are they like?”

 

 

Tifa shuffled about, uncertain. “I'll... let you decide that one for yourself.” A flash of worry crossed Kairi's face. “But we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Just tell us when you're ready to go, 'kay?”

 

 

“Mhm. I just need to sit for a couple minutes, let everything digest.” Kairi groaned loudly, sinking back into her chair. “I ate too much, guys...” All three of the woman laughed gently at that, even Kairi, who was smiling slightly at her slight faux pas. _This is rather nice,_ she thought. Just sitting around the breakfast table and conversing with friends. A nice, relaxing morning with everyone going at their own pace. Such a stark change from last night, almost making her forget about it entirely. Almost.

 

 

“So, I was thinking about something last night.” Kairi started, before biting down on her lip nervously. She looked up at the two woman across from her. “I'm pretty much royalty on this world, aren't I?”

 

 

“If by 'pretty much' you mean 'most certainly are'? Then, yes.” Tifa answered, quickly finishing her coffee before continuing. “The royal family is most certainly gone – no one has seen them in the decade since – but their youngest child matches up with you perfectly. You're the right age, right look, even the name's the same. So, unless you're some elaborately done up imposter, you would be the last scion of the royal family.”

 

 

The girl nodded stiffly. “I see.” For almost any other teenage girl, there would normally only be one of two reactions, depending on the type of girl: uncontainable joy or annoyed disgust. But, for Kairi, it all just felt muted. A huge, potentially life-changing revelation, and it really didn't resonate any kind of feeling with her at all. For a moment, she thought something was wrong with her, before remembering it was probably because of the events of last couple days and the fear and trepidation building in her for the near future.

 

 

Once more, Aerith broke the silence and Kairi's contemplation. “That isn't important at the moment. All Kairi should focus on is defeating the Organization and saving Sora.”

 

 

“You're correct.” Kairi nodded again, before pushing herself away from the table. “Well, with how nervous I'm feeling, my stomach is as settled as it will ever be. Let's head out.”

 

 

“You two go on ahead then.” Tifa offered, standing up herself to bus Kairi's dishes. “I'll clean up here and handle any potential stragglers wanting a free meal.” She then looked back up to Kairi and said, “If I don't see you before you head off, please stay safe and good luck. We all believe in you.”

 

 

“Thank you, Miss Tifa. I'll try and do my best.” _I have to do more than try and do more than my best. I have to give it absolutely everything that I have._

 

 

Together, she and Aerith travelled through the streets of the quiet town, encountering practically no one along the way, most likely due to the massive battle yesterday. Everyone was either to afraid to come out or were busy repairing the town and shoring up defences in case of a repeat. Kairi also couldn't get over just how cold the town was, crossing her hands over her upper arms to stop herself from shivering. Whether it was because the climate of Hollow Bastion really was that cold, or it was actually moderate and she was use to the balmy, sunny paradise of the islands, she didn't know, but she wasn't a fan of it. Looking up, she saw the entire sky was blanketed by a light grey overcast, obscuring the sun entirely.

 

 

_I suppose I should get use to this._ She thought idly. _I can't imagine many worlds are as warm as the islands. They're probably even colder than this._ Kairi didn't even know why her mind was focusing onto these odd topics. The loving warmth of the shower, the sumptuous breakfast spread, the utter non-impact of who she was and what she was to this world, and now the weather. In a few hours, she was probably going to be rocketing to parts unknown to pick up the war Sora had left off from. _I guess that I'm just trying not to focus on that last part.... Certainly is better than panic and crying like a baby._

 

 

Eventually, the two arrived to another house similar to the one owned by Aerith and Tifa. Kairi was rather confused when they entered, as the building was entirely vacant save for a large computer and multiple bookshelves crammed to capacity, as well as further books stacked precariously on the floor. The redhead shot a look at the older woman, who only smiled and walked over to the farthest bookshelf, pulling on a large, red book. The book tilted forward but didn't fall out, instead, there was a soft rumble as the entire bookshelf began to shift over to the left, revealing a stone staircase descending downwards. Kairi could only blink dumbly.

 

 

“You guys have a secret stairway behind the bookshelf.” She shook her head and sighed. This was the stuff that only showed up in movies and books. “Of course you do.”

 

 

“Well, it's Merlin's house, and you know wizards and their secrets.” Aerith replied, still as cheerful as ever. “Everyone's downstairs, which is where the armoury, the Gummi Ship hangar, and launch way are.” Aerith waved at her to follow and the two climbed down the short set of stairs.

 

 

At the bottom seemed to be some sort of meeting room, with a long table and several chairs dominating the majority of the large room. Cloud and Leon were in one corner, conversing quietly, while the other occupants were a trio of unfamiliar elderly women in bright red, green, and blue dresses who kept their eyes trained on Kairi as she entered. Strangely, they all had tiny little wings sprouting from their backs.

 

 

Leon took notice as well, for he walked up to the two of them soon after they arrived. “Good to see that you've finally arrived.”

 

 

“And a 'good morning' to you, too, Leon.” Aerith replied, her normal sweetness now tinged with sarcasm. Leon simply grunted in reply.

 

 

“So, Leon,” Kairi started, ignoring the chilly reception she had been given, “if you don't mind me being so forward, where is my 'team' so to put it? I'm curious and nervous to meet them.”

 

 

“They're in the armoury at the moment, getting their gear. You'll meet them in time.” He explained, which really did nothing to assuage her feelings. “First, however, you need to get equipped.”

 

 

Kairi quirked an eyebrow. “'Equipped'? I don't understand. I mean, I have my Keyblade. What else do I need?”

 

 

“Appropriate clothing.” The older man put forth bluntly, causing Kairi to overlook her attire. He was definitely right. Adventuring and fighting in a pink mini-dress didn't seem like the most intelligent or most practical thing she could do. Leon then gestured to the older women on the other side of the room. “That's why I had the King ask for these three before he left. Flora,” he motioned at the red one, “Fauna,” now the green one, “and Merryweather,” finally the blue one. “They're fairies whose magic specialize in creation and shapeshifting. They were the ones who created Sora's new clothing.”

 

 

“Come closer now, dear. We don't bite.” Flora beckoned to her, the trio perking up as Kairi approached them. “Oh my, aren't you a lovely young thing.” The fairy declared happily, causing Kairi to shuffle, embarrassed, scratching the back of hear head.

 

 

“And she is very similar to Aurora. I can feel it from here.” Fauna piped in.

 

 

Merryweather nodded and agreed in chorus. “Indeed. Now that we're up close, it's unmistakable. They have the same Light.”

 

 

Flora flew “Now, we've been discussing since last night about what to do with your outfit. Unfortunately, we seem to be stuck on colour.” She then shot a baleful look at her two companions. “Again. But, I'm certain someone like you can agree with me that red is the superior choice,” the fairy said while motioning to Kairi's hair.

 

 

“We can't give her an all red ensemble.” Argued Merryweather. “With her hair, it will make her look monochromatic and dull! It should be blue to compliment her hair and highlight her eyes.”

 

 

“We're not doing blue,” came Fauna, “we made Aurora's coronation gown blue, so you're not getting your way this time. It should be green.”

 

 

The three fairies all then flew away from Kairi, collecting in a loose triangle, bickering loudly over which of their primary colours was superior, eventually breaking down into a repeated cycle of “Red!” “Blue!” “Green!” “Red!” “Blue!” “Green!” _ad naseum_ for an uncomfortable amount of time.

 

 

“Uh, excuse me? Ladies? There's no need to this...” Kairi looked over to the other three in the room. Leon had his face clutched in his hand, Aerith's cheerful facade was starting to slowly crack, while Cloud looked like he wished he was anywhere else but here. “You know... if we're talking colour, there's really only one way to settle it. Pink, with purple as the secondary colour and then black and white as the highlights. That's, like, the best combination possible. Scientifically proven.”

 

 

The three fairies suddenly went silent, turning to face the redhead. “That seems... acceptable.” Said Flora, slowly. Flora and Merryweather both seemed pleased with this compromise, since permutations of their favoured colours were included. Fauna just huffed, her and green having been left out in the cold.

 

 

“The other thing we were debating – though, much more civilly – was design.” Merryweather told her. “We were thinking of something elegant, regal, and feminine, but still dynamic and practical for adventuring.” Staring at the blue fairy, Kairi was struck with a bit of inspiration.

 

 

“Actually, I might have something. Does anyone have paper and a pencil?” She was directed to the long table, which was covered in various papers, files, and writing utensils. Finding a blank sheet of scrap paper, Kairi quickly sketched her idea out. The redhead wasn't anything special when it came to drawing, but she thought she was better than the average person at the least. When finished the rough drawing, she passed it over to the trio. “Something like this. Do you think it could work?”

 

 

Flora took the paper for the group, all three huddling about and squinting at the drawing. After a while, the red fairy declared, “Hmm... I like it!”

 

 

Merryweather nodded. “I believe we can make this work.”

 

 

“Colour aside, it should look excellent on you, dear.” Fauna finished.

 

 

With the appraisal done, all three quickly hovered over to Kairi, surrounding her in a triangle, slight wands appearing in their hands. “Alright girls, on the count of three.” Flora ordered, raising up her wand.

 

 

“One.... Two.... Three!”

 

 

In perfectly synchronized time, streaks of silver light shot out from the tips of their wands, all striking Kairi at the same time and covering her in a blinding light. When the bright light receded, Kairi's entire attire had been altered by the magic.

 

 

It seemed that her inspiration had come from her saviour from the previous day, Aqua. It was almost entirely the same, with the halter top, bicycle shorts, and thigh-high stockings all in black; the bell sleeves were also retained, though they were light red-to-off white instead of the blue-to-off white of Aqua's. The crossed belts and corset were removed and in their place was a near ankle-length dress, rose pink in colour. Instead of being one solid piece of fabric however, the dress split into three flowing segments of cloth, the split starting just below her waist and allowing her a full range of movements with her legs. Of the three segments, one was shooting straight down her front and tapering to a point – a narrower strip of fabric almost like a wide loin cloth – royal purple in colour and trimmed in white. Golden filigree decorated the narrow segment in fanciful, curving designs, as well as emblems of a golden phoenix and a dark blue heart. The other two segments covered her hips and back, the splits in the fabric making them resemble flared coat tails. They were, conversely, the same rose pink as the upper half of the dress, with black trim around the hem and floral pattern woven on both the inside and outside of the sections. The upper half of the dress eventually formed into a gold armoured cuirass, complete with triangular pauldrons strapped to her shoulders. Finally, the outfit was finished with black and pink gloves and armoured boots and greaves that cut off right below her knees.

 

 

“Oh, it's even better than I imagined!” Flora gushed as the light subsided, giving everyone a good look at Kairi's new gear.

 

 

“Oh, yes. She looks every part a warrior as she does a lady.” Merryweather chimed in brightly.

 

 

Fauna only nodded and said, “Lack of green aside, this may be our best work yet.”

 

 

Through all this, Kairi was examining herself. “It's really okay?” She turned back to Leon, Aerith, and Cloud. “It's not too over the top? The drawing was okay, but now that I see it realized, I feel sort of silly...”

 

 

“Nonsense. It's an excellent look for you.” Offered Aerith with an encouraging smile. Leon had a more practical observation.

 

 

“The look isn't important, so much as the magic used to create it.” The young man with the diagonal scar then walked over to a door near Kairi and the fairies. “Now, let's go. I think it's time you and your support team, such that it is, finally meet.”

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

“So, when do you think we're gonna meet this Keyblade girl?” Rikku asked her two companions, looking over her shoulder at them. “I mean, it's been almost four hours now.”

 

 

“Are you really so eager to do this?” Paine questioned, voice cool and bored. “Here I thought you were the most opposed to this.”

 

 

“I still am!” The blonde fired back. “It's just we spend until, like, past midnight talking about this and then they get us up at about seven in the morning which is just criminal and they still forced us to sleep in those crappy cells _and_ then they make us wear these stupid things,” she tugged at an odd black collar that was currently clamped around the necks of all three Gullwings, “ _and_ they have the stupid ninja girl watching us in here, like we cant' be trusted. Treating us like a bunch of common thieves.”

 

 

“We technically are thieves.” Paine responded, still cool and detached. “And _you_ did try and steal a bunch of stuff today already. And it's not even noon.”

 

 

“It's the principle of the matter!”

 

  
Yuna only sighed. “I know I've buried 'just think positive' into the ground at this point, but we really should. And besides that, I'm personally very happy to be offered this mission. I'm glad that for the first time in a long time, we'll be doing some good.”

 

 

Following the sudden appearance of Tifa and Yuffie the night prior, the trio of thieves and treasure hunters known collectively as the Gullwings were broached a deal, a “work release program” as Tifa had stated: their freedom in exchange for assisting a new Keyblade wielder in fighting the Heartless and Nobodies. Needless to say, the three young woman quickly agreed, though not with some reservations from Rikku's part. The following morning – the current day – they were gathered at the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee's Central Command where the situation had been explained. The previous Keyblade bearer they had met being kidnapped, the Blackheart Stones, the King desperately searching for a way into the Organization's world... the situation was rather bad, and it most instances it would be enough for the three to back out on the deal, but it had been made very clear that it was either this or they would spend the rest of their lives rotting in jail. Not a very difficult choice. Not much a choice at all, really. Of course, in return, they were granted their own set of new clothes – conjured by fairy magic nonetheless – and were currently in the HBRC's armoury, arming themselves with new gear for the upcoming mission.

 

 

“Eh... doing good is good an' all, I'm just not sold on this hole 'ferrying around a noob Keyblader', Yunie.” Rikku was now clad in a light orange t-shirt and a thin scar of a matching colour, her headband now a sky blue and a set of goggles were lain over top the band. Dark green short shorts held up by suspenders, with black leggings underneath, covered her legs, and three satchels clipped to her belt, one on either waist and the third against her back. “Just seems like more trouble than it's worth. If it were with that Sora guy, though, that'd be a different story.” She was also wearing olive green high-top canvas sneakers and tan, fingerless gloves.

 

 

“One, you need to stop crushing on every boy we come across. Two, I'm certain we can handle anything thrown at us while she gets up to speed.” Paine stated, before pausing and adding, “save an actual Organization XIII member.” Paine's attire was much more simplistic and monochromatic. Almost entirely clad in black, with black pants, black boots, a black jacket cropped halfway down her ribs, and black gloves long enough that they covered all the pale skin on her arms, the ends vanishing inside the short sleeves of her jacket. The only thing not entirely black on her was her shirt – grey with diagonal slashes of silver and red – her silver-studded belt and silver-plated greaves.

 

 

“I don't think it will even be that difficult.” Came Yuna, who was wearing a ruffled camisole, coloured white with a large blue strip along it's top edge. Over top that was a long-sleeved hooded jacket, once again white with a bit of blue, this time taking the form of a trim along the hemming and two triangular panels on the side. Emblazoned on the back of the jacket was the image of a crescent moon and a pair of wings. Like Rikku, she wore short shorts, these ones dark blue and made of denim, but also had a frilly white and sea blue half-skirt clipped attached to her right hip. “We were able to defeat the grunt Heartless even in our fairy forms. I don't think the stronger Heartless, Nobodies, and Organization members will be that hard a fight in comparison. And, like Paine said, she'll get up to speed eventually.” Yuna's outfit was finished with dark blue knee-high boots.

 

 

“Speaking of, you guys ever wonder why we're human again? Like, what happened to our fairy forms and the curse?” Rikku wondered aloud while flitting through the available gear in the armour, preferring something light and quick to fit her slight frame. Eventually she stumbled upon a pair of daggers, each with half-crescent shaped guards so they could also serve as knuckle dusters. Both blades were roughly the length of her forearm, but were mismatched otherwise, one curving with only a single edge, while the other was straight and double-edge, one a normal cutting edge and the other being serrated.

 

 

“A very good question.” Paine answered, likewise looking for a weapon, though she preferred something larger and heavier. “We didn't even revert for the year she was gone after Sora beat her. Though, I suppose Maleficent always had her ways of sticking around regardless. If the curse is broken this time, she must be deader than dead.” The pale woman also came across a pair of armaments; a kite shield with a snarling wolf's head blazoned on it and an over-large broadsword with a single cutting and a rectangular shaped hand guard over the hilt. She hefted it about, giving it a few practice swings with only one hand, despite it's size. Paine gave a sharp nod in approval, before taking it's sheath and strapping it across her back.

 

 

“If so, good riddance.” Yuna declared. “If not, we can deal with it later. Again, I'm happy to be human again and to be able to help people. Finally do some good again.” The weapon the brunette selected was certainly an odd one, though she had heard of it before; it was a 'shotstaff'. A polearm with a head resembling a tuning fork, two parallel blades that were shaped like crescent moons. The haft got slightly narrower as you travelled up the length to the head and, with the grooves built along the half, it seemed to be telescopic. Oddest though, were the rifle slide mounted beneath the spearhead, the butt which curved at the end and resembled a rifle's stock (complete with a trigger), and the fact that there seemed to be a spiral-bored gun barrel coming out of the haft, set in between the spearhead.

 

 

“And if she is alive and skulking around, we can finally settle the score with the witch personally.” Paine added, punctuating the statement with another practice swing of her new sword.

 

 

“Hey? Are you three finally finished up there?” Yuffie popped in her head into the doorway, panning about and looking at the three with narrow, suspicious eyes. “Haven't started looting again have you?”

 

 

“No, little bossy ninja girl,” Rikku started in a snotty tone, “we're behaving perfectly fine, thank you very much.” The blonde stuck her tongue out at the other girl, who frowned in response, before pulling out a small remote control. She pressed a button on the remote, as a loud buzzing filled the air, followed by Rikku yelping loudly, in pain from something, and clutching the collar around her neck.

 

 

Yuffie snickered.

 

 

“Anyways, the others are all done so I guess it's finally time for everyone to meet.”  
  


 

After the statement, the armoury began to fill up with everyone else. Yuffie came in first, followed by Leon and Aerith, and then the three fairies. Finally, Kairi took up the rear, looking rather nervous and timid. Still, when she saw the Gullwings, she offered each a small smile, trying to start their relationship on a good note.

 

 

“Alright then, Kairi, this is your support team for the mission. Yuna, Rikku, and Pain.” Leon introduced the trio, motioning at each in turn. Yuna returned Kairi's smile with a nod and a pleasant “Nice to meet you”, Rikku winked and pointed at Kairi with a 'finger gun', while Paine just gave a curt nod. It seemed things were going well, but then Rikku narrowed her focus on Kairi, before opening her mouth.

 

 

“Wow, jeez, now that I get a good luck at you, the three of us are so plain looking and your duds are fancy and showy.” Rikku commented, exaggerating her reactions so that she looked taken aback and a little offended. “I didn't know we were going to be travelling with some ostentatious show-off here.”

 

 

Kairi opened her mouth in blank confusion, her nervousness ratcheting up a dial. Regardless, she tried to press on. “So, Leon. You guys have all been in the dark about my partners. Who are they? Members of the HBRC I haven't met before?” Now it was time for Leon to sweat.

 

 

“Not exactly...” The older man began to run his fingers through his hair. “The three of them, the Gullwings, they're-”

 

 

“They use to be Maleficent's goons.” Yuffie blurted out, tactlessly.

 

 

“Yuffie!” Leon snapped.

 

 

“Wait, what?” Kairi blinked, head whipping wildly for an explanation.

 

 

The ninja girl sniped right back. “Gee, sorry. Here I thought you would appreciate that, Mr. Blunt Honesty.”

 

 

“We _did_ work with Maleficent, but only against our will.” Yuna said quickly, trying to douse out this fire. “Our world fell into darkness and we barely survived. She offered to save us if we agreed to serve her. We would most likely be dead otherwise.” She then paused, before muttering to herself, Rikku, and Paine. “...Now that I think on it, we get that 'work with us, or else' offer quite a bit.”

 

 

“Oh. I see.” Kairi bit her lip, looking each Gullwing over in turn. “But, still, you did work for her?”

 

  
“We didn't kill anyone, if that's what you're fishing for.” Paine stated. “We were mostly just thievery and espionage.” Kairi looked slightly relieved at that.

 

 

“Though, we did lead her to the location of one or two of the Princesses...” Yuna admitted quietly.

 

 

Kairi took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Whatever they did in the past was just that, the past. Now they were going to have to coexist, so Kairi needed to play diplomat and make sure things went well from the outset. “Well, I suppose I can't hold a grudge on you guys. I don't know you yet and you seem like you're trying to turn over a new leaf.” The redhead walked over to Yuna, hand extended. “I'm Kairi Shiratori. It's nice to meet all of you and I hope we can work well together in the battle to come.” Yuna nodded and smiled again, accepting Kairi's hand with a firm handshake.

 

 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, pleasantries and introductions and all that,” Rikku came butting in, breaking up the handshake with her own body and getting into Kairi's face. “What I want to see is this new Keyblader, you, apparently. I wanna see how you and your Keyblade match up to that cute guy.” The redhead blushed and gritted her teeth at the comment, but chose to say nothing, instead summoning her Keyblade, Destiny's Embrace. She didn't name it personally, nor did she know how she came to know it's name, she just knew that was the Keyblade's proper name.

 

 

She raised the flowery blade above her head for all to see, looking rather majestic and powerful due to the combination of the pose and her new outfit. Then the effect was entirely ruined due to Rikku snickering

 

 

“Woo boy! Lady, is that thing craaaaazy unsubtle!” She said, holding her hand up to her face to try and stop the giggles. Kairi was shrinking back again. “I mean, here I thought your outfit was the height of flashy and ostentatious, but wow, that weapon – OW! Paine!”

 

 

The woman in black had smacked her companion across the back of the head, then turned her attention to Kairi. “Ignore her. She likes to push people's buttons.”

 

 

Yuffie then sidled up to Kairi. “And if that doesn't work, Cid cooked up something up last night to keep these three in line.” The raven-haired girl held up the remote she had previously used, revealing it had four buttons, numbered one through four. “See those collars around their necks?” Kairi nodded. “Well, just press one of these buttons when they get all uppity and -” Yuffie pressed each button in turn, which was followed by a loud buzzing sound and each Gullwing reacting in someway. Rikku shrieked as her whole body spasmed, Yuna jumped slightly and gasped in pain, and Paine only grimaced and grunted.

 

 

“A shock collar?”

 

 

“Yep. Just like naughty dogs have when going through training.” Yuffie replied with a mischievous grin that earned a rather hateful glare from Rikku. The ninja girl then passed it on to Kairi, who examined it

 

 

“Wait, what does that fourth button do?” The Keyblade-wielding girl pressed it out of curiosity, resulting in all three collars going off and all three Gullwings reacting. “Huh.”

 

 

“If you're all done playing around,” Leon stated with an authoritative voice, “we still have some last minute housekeeping to deal with. Cid has finished preparations on your Gummi Ship down in the hangar, it's ready for takeoff at anytime. We've stocked up it's pantry and freezer with food, but if you want fresh, perishable goods, you'll have to buy them from merchants on the various worlds you go to.”

 

 

“We also should not somethings about your new clothing.” Merryweather began. “Due to our magic, the fabrics are stronger than steel. They also project an invisible barrier around your entire body, extending that protection to even parts of your body that they don't cover.”

 

 

Fauna continued for her blue counterpart. “They also have several enchantments attached to them. They breath in the heat, insulate your against the cold, and will automatically clean and repair themselves after a period of time.”

 

 

Rikku let out a sharp whistle while rubbing the fabric of her shirt between two fingers. “Jeez, the next time I need to update my wardrobe, I'm coming back to you three.”

 

 

Finally, Flora spoke up. “Also, Kairi dear, like how we sewed special powers into Sora's outfit, we did the same with you. With those clothes, you'll be able to channel your Light much easier and with more precision and skill. I hope it helps you on your journey.”

 

 

“Um... thank you. Thank you for everything.” Kairi bowed in turn to the three fairies. She then faced Leon and said, “I guess we shouldn't waste anymore time. Let's go. Um... that is, if you guys are ready.” The redhead finished the statement sheepishly, looking back at the Gullwings. Travelling with a party would take some getting use to.

 

  
Paine, for her part, seemed to not care about the younger girl taking charge. “You're the leader here. We're ready when you are.” With that, everyone began to follow Leon out of the room.

 

 

As she was leaving, Kairi overheard Rikku, though it wasn't that hard, as the blonde was being rather loud. “Gee, must be nice to have all these advantages – Keyblades and Light – and then for everyone to bend over backwards and treat you special.” When Kairi turned around to face the other teenager, Rikku only flashed her an impish grin. Kairi sighed despondently and shuffled out of the room.

 

 

“Rikku, you've known her for five minutes. Try and act just a tiny bit friendlier.” Yuna scolded her partner, trying to sound as tough as possible. “Especially considering what she's gone through recently.”

 

 

Rikku waved the telling-off away in a nonchalant manner. “Hey! This is just how I treat people. Even Paine said so, I like to push people's buttons.” Still, both her partners gave her disappointed looks while leaving her in their wake. Rikku went to catch up to them, but was pulled back into the armoury by Aerith, the brunette clamping down on the thief's shoulder with a surprisingly powerful grip.

 

 

The older woman crouched down to ear level with the Gullwing, whispering into her ear, “If you do anything to hurt her or cross her, then you'll be answering to me.” Aerith's voice was as gentle and sweet as ever, but also cold and dark like a moonless night, tinged with audible venom. She then stood up, smiled at Rikku as if nothing had happened or changed and left the room without another word.

 

 

Needless to say, Rikku was quite freaked out.

 

 

“...What the heck was that?” She asked frightfully to no one in particular. “Who would have thought that of all the people running this, _she_ was the scariest. The flower woman?” Rikku continued to stare in shock for a moment, before sighing, and running after the others, the threat very clearly ringing in the back of her head.

 

 

What followed was a very quick tour of the living quarters of Kairi and the Gullwing's new ship. Leon evidently wanted the quartet out on their mission as soon as possible, so it was all done in his own very efficient and spartan way. Admittedly, what was shown in the rushed tour seemed rather nice; a small gymnasium, a modern and open-spaced galley, homey recreation room, a pair of bedrooms, and two deluxe bathroom suites. Despite being attached to a sterile intergalactic starship, Kairi thought the living quarters were rather exquisite and inviting.

 

 

“Well, that's about everything we need to deal with.” Leon told Kairi. The two were currently standing just outside the ship's bridge, the remainder of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee members waiting in the hangar, while the Gullwings were already occupying the bridge, waiting for Kairi. “Again, I understand that we're asking a lot of you, but we all do have faith in you, and we're here to support you.”

 

 

“Leon, I'm not going to lie and say I'm no longer nervous. Because I am. Really nervous. Moreso than I ever thought possible.” Kairi let out a burst of frightful laughter, before coughing and trying to steady herself. “Sorry. Sorry. I am nervous, though. But, I'm just trying to put myself in Sora's shoes. Honestly, it's giving me new appreciation for his optimism and spirit. I can't imagine how he never broke down before, but I just have to keep that in mind. I can do this if I just follow his example and his path.”

 

 

Leon nodded, reaching into a pocket inside his jacket. “I do have one last thing for you.” He produced a small spiral-bound book, presenting it to the teenager. “Sora's ship is still in orbit and we were able to get access to it. This is his journal. Not in his words, mind you, but he did add some of his own notes in the liner. I couldn't make heads or tails of it, he has terrible writing.” This caused Kairi to giggle despite herself, she knew how true that fact was. “But, we figured it could help you find your way when you disembark on a world.”

 

 

“Thank you, Leon.” Kairi bowed once more, accepting the journal. “For everything. And tell everyone that, too. Especially Aerith and Tifa. You've all done so much to help me in such a hard time. I wouldn't be anywhere without all of you.” Leon made no response, not even a smile, but to simply nod stiffly before taking his leave. That all finished, Kairi went to enter the bridge.

 

 

Everything outside the living quarters all followed a very sterile and metal motif of whites, steel blues, and gun-metal greys, with the bridge being no exception. Ultra-modern and hospital-levels of cleanliness, over half the room was comprised of the “windshield” (though Kairi was certain it was called something different on a spaceship, maybe a “vacuum-shield”), with four seats spaced around the room. Three were currently occupied by the Gullwings, two on either side of the room mounted next to computer consoles were seating Yuna and Paine, while the third (in use by Rikku) was set at the front of the room before a complicated series of switches, buttons, and joysticks.

 

 

Kairi took the final chair, which was on a raised mound dead centre of the room, though not with a little trepidation as she realized Rikku was sitting in the pilot's chair. “Um... is that really a good idea? Having her in that position.” She voiced nervously.

 

 

“I know she doesn't look it, but she's a whizz when it comes to anything mechanical. That includes piloting.” Paine explained without ever looking at Kairi, who only nodded slightly.

 

 

Suddenly, the intercom crackled to life, Leon's voice coming over it. “ _Okay, we're all ready on our end. Ramp way is clear and the hangar is open, just give us word when you're ready to go._ ”

 

 

“No sweat, Squall-guy.” Rikku chirped while tapping away on a keyboard before her. “All systems are green on are end. Well, they're green now. Whoever updated the O.S. on this thing did a real poor job. Bugs and inconsistencies and all sorts of stuff. Real amateurish stuff.” Both Cid and Leon could be heard grumbling over the com about Rikku.

 

 

“ _Just...go already. Just go._ ”

 

 

Rikku continued to tap away at the keys before taking both throttles on either side and pushing them as far forward as possible. The ship lurched to a start, picking up velocity in very short order. “Alright ladies, strap in. Goes double for you, Red. Atmospheric breaking can be pretty rough for a first-timer.”

 

 

Kairi nodded, quickly buckling her belt and tightening it as much as she could. She could already feel the G-forces pushing her back into the chair, the ship rumbling and shaking as it still built up speed and speed. The darkness of the hangar was replaced by the slate grey skies of Hollow Bastion.

 

 

_Please, Sora. Please just wait for me. I promise that I'll save you._

 

 

Eventually, the ship pierced through the thick layer of clouds, and for a fleeting moment, right before blasting off into space, all the four women could see were sunlight and endless blue skies.

 


	4. First Steps

_(PREFACE: Most of these author notes are only relevant to the original posting to Fanfiction.net and are only here for the sake of clarity, ease of formatting, and for context)_  
  
_Well, hello there. Trust me, I am as surprised to see this again as you all are._  
  
  
_Now, as much as I want to just go right into the chapter, I do feel I owe some explanation as to why I just let this die for four years of real time. I don't really want to get into things right now, but it's was a very up and down time for me. A lack of creative energy, high stress and anxiety, dealing with depression all over again. And even when my personal life got back on track, I was still struggling finding the time and energy and motivation to write anything._  
  
  
_But, then, you'll notice, in the last four months, I've written five short stories – KH one-off fics. And now we have this, which I've been hinting at for a little while, and you may be asking “What has changed”?_

_And that answer is **Kingdom Hearts III** came out._

_Now, clearly, either I or someone else wish one a monkey's palm, because as much issues as I have had with **Kingdom Hearts II** (points to this entire story) I never imagined, never ever ever, that I would HATE KH3 more than KH2. I hate it so much. Absolutely, utterly despise that awful, garbage game from the very bottom of my core. I won't go into detail (there's enough of my bile about this game on the internet already) but just various points particularly stick with me from spending too much time setting up to sequels, unneeded and quite simply baffling Face Turns, poor pacing that leads to most of the plot happening in the last several hours, the continued abject cruel treatment of Kairi and Namine, every heroic character being short-changed in their arcs and cut-off at the knees in favour of building up Sora (Roman Reigns booking, nice!), and the even more cruel ending._

_So, too long, didn't read, spite. I'm doing this out of spite. Not the most noble of motivations, but here were are..._

_In the aftermath, I was left with a lot of anger and bile and energy. I felt like I had to do something in response to this. To both my emotions and to the game itself. And I had this story left undone. And I had an idea for another story, as well._  
  
  
_So, I knuckled up, took all my energy and focus, and I sat down and I started again._

_I felt like I had to do this, to at least try and put some headway into **She Will Light The Way**. When I came up with this idea four years ago, I was super excited. I thought it was such a great idea – not only as a story, but as a way to work through my feelings on the franchise. And now, in the wake of 3, I feel like I not only owe it to myself to do this story, but to do it for Kairi, and to have it serve as a counterpoint to the series and it's continued, awful, garbage treatment of Kairi._  
  
  
_As for the second story, well, if you're a longtime or recent reader, you may have noticed this story has a new super-title. The **Saga of Light**. I'm not saying this is part of a new, sprawling epic series, but the second story I am working on is a sequel to this one. And I'm writing both of them at the same time, and will be alternating on publishing them. Now, you may be saying “Wow, working and publishing on a story and the sequel at the same time sound really dumb”. And you'd be write. But I feel like I owe it to myself to try and do these stories, and the second story in particular contains concepts and ideas that I have always wanted to do in a Kingdom Hearts story._

_So, to hell with all of it, I'm just going for it. I want it all, and desire is the energy of life!_

  
  
  
_But anyways, I've talked far too long, so let's to waist anytime. It's back, it's back. After so long, I am happy to bring back **She Will Light The Way**! Please enjoy everyone!_

 

 

* * *

 

 

**She Will Light The Way**

**Chapter Four**

**First Steps**

 

 

“...And those are more or less the basics.” Yuna concluded while folding up her shotstaff. “Again, I'm sorry we couldn't give you anything more than a crash course. We'll teach you more sometime down the road.”

 

 

“Experience is the best teacher. She'll learn far more far quickly in the field.” Paine rebutted gruffly.

 

 

Kairi nodded at the two while dismissing Destiny's Embrace. Immediately after breaking through the atmosphere and establishing a stable course to their first Blackheart Stone, the foursome gathered in the small gym built into the ship's lodgings to give Kairi a quick lesson on combat, in order to give her some sort of grounding for the coming battles. Paine taught her swordsmanship, Yuna taught her magic, and Rikku.... Well, Paine taught her swordsmanship and Yuna taught her magic, that's what was important.

 

 

Admittedly, it certainly was only the very basics of training that could be imparted on her in such a short time. Paine showed her several correct stances in wielding the Keyblade, as well as proper technique and motion for slashes, thrusts, and parries. She then followed up by teaching her proper footwork and how to dodge quickly (Kairi's first instinct from years of dance was to pirouette away, something Paine wanted to quash immediately, though she noted being a Keyblade bearer may cause the rules to not entirely apply to Kairi). Yuna followed up with teaching Kairi how to channel her mana, something which came rather easy to Kairi. Converting it into actual an actual elemental spell... not so much. At the moment she could only conjure small fireballs and shards of ice. Yuna wanted to complete the triangle and have the redhead try a Thunder spell, which was followed by protesting shrieks from Rikku. According to Paine, the blonde was still in the process of learning to handle her longtime astraphobia (something she vehemently denied) and still wasn't entirely okay with thunder and lightning. Though, Kairi could see the logic of _not_ firing around lightning bolts in a confined area which was floating around the vacuum of outer space.

 

 

“Do you really think this is wise, though?” Kairi asked as the four were now transferring back to the bridge. “I mean, I know the first hit on the radar was only a few hours away, but having me out and fighting right now? Seems kinda risky. I barely know what I'm doing and I have practically no strength in my arms.” She held up a slender arm, prodding at skin and fat. Despite her constant inner monologues to herself tell her to step up and be strong and courageous, with the moment of her first fight fast approaching, her inexperience, fear, and nervousness were getting the best of her.

 

 

“I can certainly lead you in some strength training later, but it isn't entirely necessary.” Paine explained. By now, they had returned to the bridge, each quickly sitting down in their assigned seats. Swivelling her chair to face the young Keyblade wielder, the pale woman said, “The Keyblade draws it's power from the user's heart, not their body. Being a Princess of Heart, you have a very powerful heart by default. So long as you don't let that sense of dread around you beat you, you'll be able to perform things that would otherwise be impossible.”

 

 

“You also have the workings of being a very good mage.” Yuna added in a comforting tone. “There's only one other person I know who was able to channel magic as easily as you during their first time. And you were able to cast all those spells in a row without getting tired, even if they were very small.” After a pause of consideration, the brunette finished. “That must be because of your Light, too.” Kairi bit on her bottom lip, clutching at the teardrop jewel at the end of her pendant.

 

 

“Though, you should take care, just so you know,” Rikku added with an easygoing smile, “I may not be a magic-user myself, but I heard that female mages lose their spell-casting abilities when they're – y'know – having the special time of the month and all.” There was a small beat. “If you catch my drift.” Another beat. “Hint hint.”

 

 

An utterly baffled and confused Kairi stared at the talkative blonde with a raised eyebrow and gaping mouth. Before she could vocalize that confusion, Paine jumped in to shoot Rikku's claim.

 

 

“Stop being ridiculous, Rikku. There's no such thing as that.”

 

 

“I heard it from some guy. Figured it was a possibility and should pass it on. It's good advice.”

 

 

“It's asinine nonsense.” Paine fired, an edge to her voice. In her short time interacting with the two, Kairi had noted that Paine tended to be (slightly) more gentle and patient with her, but offered no such leniency for Rikku and her mischievous nature. It was something she was thankful for. “The world and magic do not operate on such backwards rules and whoever argues otherwise is an idiot.”

 

 

“Paine's right.” Yuna – the only true magic-user of the three – confirmed to the still confused redhead. “What Rikku said is just a ridiculous rumour, pay no mind to it.”

 

 

“Uh...okay. Sure.”

 

 

“All that aside, though,” Rikku turned about in her pilot's chair, the ship being on autopilot for the past three hours or so, “you really do have a pair of noodle arms.” She flexed both her arms, revealing that even the lithe blonde had more impressive biceps than Kairi. “I take it that you're not the most athletic girl back home?”

 

 

Kairi let out a tiny chuckle and shook her head. “I mean, yes and no. I do enjoy watching sports, and I almost always jump at getting in on a pick-up game of soccer or volleyball, but I've never been good at them. I'm a part of the drama club, choir, and student council at school, and the closest I get to regular exercise is dance and yoga, so all of my muscles are mostly in my legs But, growing up, my two best friends were Sora and Riku, right? I had to be at least be tough enough to keep up with those two dummies.” The redhead smiled fondly and forlornly at her childhood memories.

 

 

“Yep, not surprised. I had your type pinned down.” Rikku said, not really talking to Kairi or anyone.

 

 

Not knowing exactly how to take the comment, Kairi decided to let it slide. It did, however, get her thinking that she really didn't know all that much about her companions. True, they had only know each other for about four-five hours, but the three Gullwings certainly did have a general idea of Kairi's history, particularly when it concerned recent events, whereas she knew next to nothing about them... other than them formerly being employed by Maleficent, something she tried not to dwell.

 

 

“What about you guys?” She asked, causing three heads to turn and look at her. “How did you all meet? What did you do before all of this?”

 

 

Yuna nodded and began to explain. “It's not a particularly exciting story, but I was...on a quest to save our world, I suppose. And I had my companions. Rikku joined second to last, Paine not too long after. It was a long and hard journey even after that, but we succeeded against all odds. We saved Spira. From then on, we started to drift apart, but Rikku and I kept working together, exploring the world and looking for hidden ruins and treasures and whatnot. One time, while searching an abandoned mountain fortress, we bumped into Paine again out of the blue. We were each working for different goals, so we decided to team up and help one another. In the end, we were glad to be united again, we figured it would be better if we stayed together from them on.”

 

 

“Paine wasn't too keen on that though. Stubborn as a mule, she is.” Rikku teased with an impish smile writ large across her face. “She tried to play it off all cool and aloof like she does with everything, but she warmed up eventually. Now, she wouldn't be able to live without us if she tried!”

 

 

“Keep thinking that.” Paine said, cool and aloof like she was with most things. The white-haired woman then continued on where Yuna had left off. “The Heartless eventually made it to, and destroyed, our world, however. This was around three years ago.”

 

 

“And people with strong enough hearts can survive a world's destruction and usually wind up somewhere else, that's what happened with all of you.” Kairi interrupted, only to be shot down with a shake of Paine's head.

 

 

“No. For whatever reason, we were strong enough to not be killed or turned into a Heartless when our world fell, but not strong enough to find our way to another world. We may not even have had physical forms. All we could do for that time was speak to one another. Then, Maleficent showed up and offered us the deal: servitude in exchange for proper bodies.” The dark woman then snorted in disdain. “And she turned us into pixies out of spite. Three years of working for her and working in that body...”

 

 

“Makes you pine for the old days of tombs full of ghosts and zombies and running from giant, rolling boulder traps, eh?” Rikku joked, wiggling her eyebrows to punctuate it. Paine only grunted, turning away and putting her legs up, fully outstretched, on the edge of a nearby console.

 

 

“As for the quest we were on before then,” Yuna spoke up, “I won't get into that right now. Rather long and complicated stuff, I won't bore you with the details. But I'll let you know that Rikku and I have know each other for almost our whole lives. The two of us our cousins.”

 

 

Blinking in confusion, Kairi looked wildly between the two. Between the kind, supportive brunette and the talkative, mischievous blonde, unable to connect the dots from what she knew. “Cousins? Like, third cousins, twice removed? That sort of deal?”

 

 

Now it was Yuna's turn to look confused. “No, firsts. My mother and her father were siblings.”

 

 

“I see...” Kairi really didn't see. Like, at all.

 

 

“Hey hey!” Rikku broke in, arms raised wildly in the air like a student desperate for the teacher to call on them in class. “Do you know what I just realized?”

 

 

“No.” Paine said. It wasn't an answer, rather, a statement that she didn't care for what Rikku had realized.

 

 

To her credit, Rikku continued on, unabated. “This ship doesn't have a name.” She turned to Kairi. “We need to give it a name.”

 

 

Kairi raised an eyebrow. “Why do we need to name it? Doesn't really matter in the long run.”

 

 

“Oh, come on! All iconic air-and/or-gummi ships have names. It's how we brand ourselves. Set ourselves apart from all the others. Think about it: The _Enterprise_ , the _Invincible_ , the _Falcon_ , the _Strahl_. There's, like, twenty different _Highwinds_. Heck, our last two were the _Fahrenheit_ and the _Celsius_.”

 

 

“Then by that theme, this one should be called the _Kelvin_.” Pointed out Paine with atypical dryness. Rikku bounced up, she seemed to like that one.

 

 

“I still don't really get the point of it all.” Kairi said, shaking her head. “It's a ship. It gets us to from world A to world B. That's all it is.” Sora and Riku had both been gung-ho on naming their raft, just over a year ago, but Kairi.... She stopped herself. She was reminiscing about those days far too often.

 

 

Before the conversation could continue any further, a chirping ' _brirr-brirr_ ' noise rang out throughout the ship, followed by a clipped, synthetic voice sounding out from the many speakers placed all over the ship.

 

 

“ _ **ATTENTION: ARRIVAL AT DESIGNATED WORLD. ATTEMPTING TO ESTABLISH TRANSPORTER LINK. LINKING.... LINKING.... LINK ESTABLISHED AND STABLE. ALL CONDITIONS ON WORLD ARE STABLE. LANDFALL MAY BE COMMENCED AT ANYTIME. THAT IS ALL.**_ ”

 

 

“Alright, ladies, all to shore who's coming to shore!” Rikku popped right up to her feet and began to make advances to the door with her manic pace, apparently instantly forgetting about her want of christening their ship. The girl honestly perplexed Kairi. “Finish your final preparations and we'll reconvene in ten, 'kay? Okay!” The blonde then bolted out the door before any of the other three women could stand out of their chairs.

 

 

Kairi was rather surprised that they were able to get to another world in such a short amount of time. Then again, she knew next to nothing about interplanetary travel, so all worlds could be less than six hours away from one another. Or maybe just this world and Hollow Bastion were the only pair so close to one another. Either way, the fact that she had such little prep time – and now would be on the battlefield within minutes – caused her nervousness to bubble inside her once again.

 

 

While standing up, the redheaded Keyblade bearer idly looked up at the screen, pastel oranges and coppery tones catching her eyes, causing her to take a double take. “Twilight Town!?” She blurted out, instantly recognizing the sleepy, idyllic town she had briefly visited.

 

 

“You're familiar with it?” Paine asked, her voice showing no surprise that she had recognized the world. Yuna did, however, cocked an eyebrow at Kairi when the girl turned to speak to them.

 

 

“Yeah... actually. I've been here before.” She began, slowly, slightly embarrassed. “This was the place where I was kidnapped by the Organization.”

 

 

“Fortunately for you, then, we won't have much time for you to reminisce on all those pleasant memories.” Paine commented. For a brief moment, Kairi thought she actually saw a small, wry and sarcastic smile across the face of the woman in black, but made nothing of it, instead following the two out of the cockpit.

 

 

_Alright, here we go. I can do this, remember that. Everyone has faith in me, remember that, too. Sora started out just like this. Remember that most of all._

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

To it's residents, Twilight Town meant peace and relaxation and stability in an increasingly hectic life. The town, eternally drenched in the golden-orange light of either a sunset or sunrise (depending on who you asked), allowed everyone to move at their own pace, nice and gentle, never rushing. Due to minimal traffic and the trains always running exactly on time, most people found they never had to rush to make it to work or school on time, even for the laziest of people Weather was always mild, with neither too much or too little rain or wind, and temperatures were always warm but not hot, or cold but not freezing during the appropriate seasons. Indeed, unless you peeled back the surface to look deep enough, the lovely little berg was paradise.

 

 

However, if you did look beneath that veneer, it was very easy to find some strange and odd things occurring in the town, in particular in the most recent months. The latest of this, happening down a back alley off of the open Sandlot, was a loud distorted buzzing and a blinding flash of electric blue light, four people materializing from literally nowhere.

 

 

Kairi and the Gullwings strolled rather casually out of the alleyway, with the redhead examining her body as they did so.

 

 

Yuna took notice of this. “Is something the matter?”

 

 

“No, but that's sort of the problem.” The teen muttered, before looking up and speaking more clearly. “I just thought that beaming down to a world, teleporting, would feel like... something. Tickle or hurt or something like that, but that was sort of like opening your front door and walking outside. It felt like nothing.”

 

 

“The wonders of modern technologies.” Rikku declared, while stretch out her limbs. “Use to be like that, y'know? Teleporting to a world would feel like a real nasty electric shock, but as technology improves and whatnot, all the bugs and kinks were worked out and it got smoother.” The blonde then paused, placing a finger on her chin to think. “Though I am surprised that the old coot would splurge for a modern teleport system. Figured he would be more for cutting corners on stuff like that.”

 

 

“Regardless of that, we're on Mission Time now, girls.” Paine abruptly said. The pale woman had instantly shifted into another gear, as it were, when they touched down on the surface of Twilight Town. Steely red eyes were scanning the vacant lot for any sort of movement while her posture was loose yet attentive, ready to strike or draw her weapon at the drop of a dime. It added another dimension to Paine's already intimidating presence. “We need to find this Stone as quickly as we can.”

 

 

“Do we have any idea where it is? Anyway of locating it?” Questioned Yuna. Paine just shook her head.

 

 

“All we know from the radar is that there's one on this world somewhere.”

 

 

“And that's super helpful.” Quipped Rikku. “Gives us a good starting point. I guess I'll have to work on some sort of compass when I have some free time.... Oh, who am I kidding? I really want to tinker around with something like that!” The bubbly blonde became even more elated at the prospect of inventing the gadget.

 

 

Paine, for her part, ignored her smaller companion and turned to Kairi. “What do you think?” Kairi looked up with querying eyes. “You're the Team Leader. It's your decision and your's alone. Plus, you've spent time here, you at least somewhat familiar with the town.”

 

 

“I was only here for about a day and half, I don't really have the lay of the land.” Kairi began, slowly, a little overwhelmed at Paine's previous statement. “As for being Leader... I can't be that. I have no idea what I'm doing. Are you really comfortable thrusting that responsibility onto me?”  
  
  
“That part is irrelevant.” Paine put forth mildly, still scanning the area. “We've all be given our roles, and you're a Keyblade wielder. On Missions, that clearly makes you Team Leader. We're just your Support Team.” Paine's gaze then dropped down to consider Kairi. “Besides, I have no basis on how you'll perform. I'd have to be rather cruel not to at least give you a shot.”

 

 

Even though she had only known her for a handful of hours, Kairi had immediately grown use to Paine's blunt honesty. This time, however, there was a level of sincerity in the older woman's voice that took Kairi back, even if the statement was a fairly neutral observation. Still, despite not endearing herself well to the Gullwings in terms of her mental state, Paine was still willing to give Kairi more than a fair chance to perform, to have faith in her untested self.

 

 

“Kairi!”

 

 

Her introspection interrupted, Kairi whipped about and the sound of her name to see three very familiar and very welcome faces approaching her and her “Support Team”.

 

 

“Olette! Hayner! Pence!”

 

 

The trio of Twilight Town teens that Kairi had been fortunate enough to encounter during her brief stay had entered the Sandlot form the opposite side, instantly recognizing the girl (though, in her new outfit, that was far from a difficult task; she really stood out in a crowd, let alone four people) and rushed to meet her. Kairi returned the gesture, running up to meet them halfway with a big smile on her face, embracing Olette.

 

 

“Guys!” She cheered, swaying back and forth in the hug. “I'm glad to see you're all okay.”

 

 

“We should be saying that about you.” Hayner said, as the two girls broke their embrace. “After that freak in black took you away, well.... What happened? How did you get away?” He then leaned over to spy upon the Gullwings, who were still in their own group. Both threesomes looked at one another with a bit of hesitation and wariness, though Kairi could sympathize more with the Twilight Trio, seeing as how the others had their weapons bared out in the open. Yuna's shotstaff was clipped to a leather strap and slung over one shoulder, whereas Paine had both her sword and shield strapped to a harness on her back. At least Rikku had her daggers tucked away out of sight.

 

 

Sensing a bit of tension, Kairi jumped in to diffuse it. “Um... those three are with me. They're friendly enough, you don't have to worry about them.” She hurried out in a high voice. “As for the other stuff, well... that's a bit complicated, but the long and short of it is I'm sort of doing what Sora does.” She had made the conscious decision to keep Sora's capture a secret from the people he had already met and affected. Sora was a figure of hope and inspiration, and she wouldn't let her own dumb mistakes tarnish that reputation he well deserved. “I'm traveling around the worlds now fighting the Heartless, too.”

 

 

“Ah, well, I guess that explains the fancy new clothes.” Hayner teased, prodding one of her pauldrons. Kairi laughed in response.

 

 

“Yeah, it's a little ostentatious. Didn't really consider that. But, you guys are okay right? Nothing happened to you after I was kidnapped?”

 

 

Olette shook her head. “No. It's been mostly quiet around here. Mostly. Though, we do feel guilty for not being to help you more. Especially since Sora showed up the day after it happened.”

 

 

“For the record, we _did_ try to help out.” Pence put forth. “Hayner and I. You just sort of sat there and watched.” Olette shied away, looking very sheepish.

 

 

At that point, Rikku sidled up to Kairi, throwing and arm around the other girl's shoulder. “Hey, hey, hey, don't mean to interrupt this pleasant moment and all. I'm Rikku, by the way. Pleasure's yours, I'm sure. Thickness. No Name. Hayner.” She pointed in turn to Pence, Olette, and Hayner, drawing mixed looks of confusion and annoyance. “ But the thing is we're sort of here on business and have to get on our way. Remember, Red? Mission Time?”

 

 

“Uh, right. Listen, guys, have you seen this sort of black obelisk looking thing anywhere around town.” Kairi started to gesture with her hands and arms to portray the shape accurately. She heard heavy footfalls coming from behind her. Paine was approaching them now. “It's kind of the reason we're here. It sort of summons and draws the Heartless here, like a magnet.”

 

 

Hayner's eyes grew wide in understanding. “So that's why they've been showing up more frequently the past couple of days.” Paine was now standing right behind Rikku and Kairi.

 

 

“Wait, what?”

 

 

Paine sprinted forth, moving like black lightning, expertly weaving in between the narrow gaps formed by the five bodies. Once clear of the others, in a single, fluid motion, she drew her broadsword and swung it down with a powerful diagonal chop.

 

 

“They're here.”

 

 

Paine's sword had cleanly severed in half a hulking, armoured Heartless, causing it to burst into motes of blackness. Even before it had destructed, dozens and dozens of Heartless varying species began to pour into the lot, crawling from the shadows and corners and cracks, or just materializing from nowhere into existence.

 

 

“Yeah, that's what I was saying.” Hayner spoke up, nervously. He, Olette, and Pence were all slowly backing away from the squadron of Heartless all amassing towards the group. Or, more specifically, towards Kairi the Keyblade Bearer.

 

 

“For about a day or two, these things have been appearing all over town. Way more than usual.” Olette added. “No one can explain why and the police have been trying to do their best, but... it's not going well.”

 

 

“What!?” Kairi summoned her Keyblade solely on instinct, jumping ahead of the trio. Yuna and Rikku joined her and, together, they formed a loose line of defence. “What are you guys doing outside if it's so dangerous around here?”

 

  
“Well, they haven't been showing up here so much.” Olette explained further. “They've overrun the train stations and Sunset Terrace, but it's still relatively safe in this part of town.”

 

 

“Relative to a part of town that's entirely abandoned and overrun by monsters...” Pence said, half-joking with a nervous chuckle.

 

 

“Well, I guess it's time for us to get to work then!” Rikku rang out, pumping her fist in excitement. The blonde quickly drew out both of her daggers – one held in a backhand grip – while her cousin had already unslung her shotstaff off her shoulders. The Gullwings looked ready to charge headlong, when-

 

 

“No!” Kairi shouted, drawing odd looks from both trios. “No, we go after the Blackheart Stone. That's our mission, that should be are priority. Not wasting our energy on endless numbers of small fry like this. Especially since they aren't hurting anyone, they're most likely after me. After this.” She held Desitny's Embrace up slightly, which seemed to draw anticipation and anxiety from the horde of black monsters.

 

 

“Probably correct.” Paine surmised. The older woman shuffled backwards to join her companions in their defensive formation, but kept her eyes trained on the Heartless, who, despite moving listlessly and impatiently, seemed a little hesitant to charge the Keyblade wielder and her companions. “If they aren't common in this part of town, they probably spawned here simply because of Kairi's presence and are only focused on her. If we went after the Stone, they'd probably pursue her, but ignore civilian targets.”

 

 

“Well, that's great and all, Paine, but you're forgetting one important detail: we have no idea where the Stone is and no way of locating it.” Rikku pointed out. Some of the Heartless were now beginning to approach at a ponderous pace, Paine responding by swinging her blade in a wide, wild arc to discourage them from coming too close.

 

 

“It's still a sound idea, but we need to decide now.” Yuna said. Kairi could tell from the tone of the brunette's voice that when she said “we need to decide” she clearly meant “you need to decide”. “What will it be? Run or fight?”

 

 

The redhead instantly whipped about to face Pence, Hayner, and Olette. “Are you guys sure you haven't seen anything like that? A black tower sorta thing?”

 

 

“Sorry, but I can't say we have.” Hayner winced while admitting the fact. “Something like that would be fairly hard to miss.”

 

 

“Unless it's hidden or disguised as something!” Pence declared, a sudden look of clarity lighting up his face. “That has to be the answer. And if the Heartless first started showing up in high numbers in Sunset Terrace and the train stations, it's probably hidden there!”

 

 

Kairi nodded along, but still needed some more before charging off. “That makes sense that it would be hidden. But, we need to narrow it down. Sunset Terrace is pretty big from what I remember and there are a bunch of train stations in town, too.”

 

 

By now, the Heartless had begun a more earnest approach and attack of the group, with Paine and Rikku alternating between cutting them down with swipes of their blades and discouraging their approach with stiff kicks. Yuna was taking a different approach, collapsing her telescopic staff to a shorter length and holding it like a rifle, stock braced against her shoulder and finger on the trigger. With each press of the trigger, the weapon unleashed it's ammunition. Not bullets, but small bits of glowing energy that tore into the Heartless with frightening speed and accuracy. And suddenly the name 'shotstaff' made much more sense...

 

 

While the Gullwings did their best to keep the monstrous forces at bay, Pence was still in deep thought, trying to figure out where exactly a nebulous villainous organization would hide a giant black obelisk. “Well, on of all the stations, Central Station is probably the best bet. It's the largest and it has the Clock Tower, too. As for Sunset Terrace, it's all residential areas, so probably Sunset Hill would be the best bet.” After a pause, he hurriedly added. “But, if you do go to the Terrace, because the trains are all down, you have to go the long way around and go through the underground passages.”

 

 

“Okay, Sunset Hill or Central Station. Sounds good.” Kairi, during her day and a half on Twilight Town, had mostly confined herself to the trio's hangout of the Usual Spot. However, they had briefly taken her on a tour of the major sights of the town, Sunset Hill included. She was about to enter a mental debate as to which was the most likely hiding spot before Olette broke in.

 

  
“I don't think it's at either of those places.” The young girl said. “Sunset Hill is too open to hide anything large and Central Station is way too heavily trafficked. Hiding something there would be too difficult. My bet would be in the woods just outside of town. It's large and secluded, perfect for hiding something like a tower.”

 

 

Kairi grinned nervously. _Well, this certainly complicates the matter..._ Panic began to set in, as her heartbeat began to ring and swell in her ears, accompanied by the din of the Gullwing's skirmish. _This was a terrible idea. We have no way of finding this stupid thing, running around town blindly while the Heartless constantly harass and follow us. First freakin' decision as leader and I blow it, I'm – Stop thinking like that! You're not getting anywhere beating yourself down like this! Paine even said so long as I don't let despair get the best of me, I can do the impossible. So... do the impossible, Kairi!_

 

 

“Hey! Red! Pay attention!” Rikku called out, breaking Kairi's concentration and dialogue with herself. “Don't freeze up on us now, it's your plan and your choice. Which one are we tackling?” Kairi shook her head wildly, trying to clear her head of her own negativity.

 

 

“I-I... I don't know!” Kairi stammered helplessly. She looked over her shoulder to the Gullwings, stunned to see that there were even _more_ Heartless in the Sandlot now then there were five minutes ago. “I need time to think, guys. I just need to think-”

 

 

“Don't know, don't think. Just feel and act!” Paine advised harshly, never turning away from the Heartless. Several tiny, mage-like Heartless launched a stream of fireballs at the trio. Paine set her sword down, swinging her shield up to cover her body. The wolf head painted on it's surface began to glow and pulse with eldritch light, eventually bursting outward, the light forming a shimmering, translucent wall that covered herself, Yuna, and Rikku and then some, stretching almost twenty square feet. The fireballs struck the barrier, petering out uselessly, with Paine stowing her shield away again, the barrier dissipating.

 

 

Through all this, Yuna tried to offer more reassuring support. “Your heart is strong, and so is your Light. I've heard that that sort of power can do amazing, unbelievable things. If you can't think, just calm down, push everything out, and listen to that. Let it be your guide in times like this.” A Heartless wandered too close to Yuna, who responded by extending her staff to it's full length and swinging it like a golf club. The resulting blow punted the hapless beast high into the air.

 

 

“Alright, alright...” Kairi turned away from the battle, taking a deep breath, before expelling it all through her mouth in a single, controlled motion. She never gave much thought to the meditative side of yoga, simply using it to increase her flexibility and stretch out her muscles, but now had to try and fine her centre.

 

 

While a loud and violent fight took place right behind.

 

 

Easy as pie.

 

 

_Sunset Hill. Central Station. The old forest. It has to be one of these._ There was the high, very high, possibility that all of these locations were entirely wrong, but Kairi absolutely couldn't think negatively at this point in time. The Blackheart Stone just had to be at one of those areas. _The forest, from what I remember, is just outside the boundaries of the town. It seems like a good place to hide it, but... it feels way too obvious. Sunset Hill. It can't be at Sunset Hill. It's just an opened, peaked hill. There's no hiding spot. And that leave's the Central Station. Olette said that it was really well trafficked, so it can't be it. They couldn't hide it there, could they?_ Nervousness and anxiety began to take hold, Kairi bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, clutching her left hand in a tight fist. Then it has to be the forest, that's the only option left. But it still doesn't feel right. Even though a thick, secluded forest made total logical sense, for whatever reason, something inside of Kairi kept flaring up and telling her it was wrong, logic be damned.

 

 

_Come on! Come on, you stupid little girl! Make a decision. This what you're suppose to do, this what you're here for. Be a better leader!_ The sounds of combat still ringing out behind her, Kairi took a couple more sharp breaths that eventually devolved into smoother, calmer breaths. _Step back, step back. Start all over. Sunset Hill. The forest. Central Station and it's Clock Tower._ Like a flash of lightning, it hit her. Her eyes shot open, Twilight Town's iconic Clock Tower clearly visible inside of her mind's eye, even though Central Station and the Tower were one of the landmarks she hadn't seen. And yet, now she could see it as clear as day, and a similar feeling to the one that told her the forest was wrong shot up again, though, this time it was one of confirmation. But why? Why do I feel this way... wait!

 

 

_Kairi. I know you. You're that girl he likes._

 

 

_Who? Please, a name._

 

 

_I'm Roxas._

 

 

_Roxas._ She had never been to the Clock Tower, but _Roxas_ had. Roxas was there the moment his thoughts wandered into her, and they spoke to one another through their hearts. Roxas, the unknown boy who knew Sora and had sparked her memories of her. And, for whatever reason, even though she only heard Roxas's voice and could not put a face to the voice, the Clock Tower stood out perfectly in her mind, both now, and in the memory of the day she and Roxas briefly conversed.

 

 

Within that moment of extreme clarity, Kairi knew without a shadow of a doubt, where the Blackheart Stone was.

 

 

“The Clock Tower!” She exclaimed. Olette, Pence, and Hayner jumped at Kairi's sudden declaration, though she paid no mind to them, instead turning to the Gullwings. “The Stone is hidden inside the Tower at Central Station.” She repeated with absolute confidence, not even a shadow of a doubt or hesitancy.

 

 

“If our fearless leader says so...” Rikku muttered, as the trio shuffled backwards in retreat. “So, where to?” She asked the native Towners.

 

 

“Straight up the hill on Market Street. You can't miss it.” Hayner told them.

 

 

Kairi nodded. “Alright. We'll lead the rest of the Heartless away from here. After we leave, I want you three to get out of here. Go to your homes or the Usual Spot or wherever safe and hold yourselves up for however long. Don't follow us, do you understand?” Kairi told her friends, trying as hard as she could to be stern, strong, and commanding.

 

 

“Hey, you don't have to tell us twice.” Hayner back up, hands held up defensively. Once again, the redhead nodded.

 

 

“Okay, then. Let's make a break for it, girls.”  


 

“Finally! We're on proper Mission Time.” Rikku clapped her hands together. “Yunie, lead us off properly, would you?”

 

 

Kairi looked on confused, as Yuna gave a small smile. “Alright, then. Gullwings, ready... ACTION!”

 

 

Yuna, Rikku, and Paine all bolted forward at top speed, whereas Kairi stumbled and staggered, caught off guard by the suddenness of the movement. She eventually found her feet and her pace, trailing behind the three, with the remains of the Heartless battalion trailing her. Seems that they were indeed only focused on Kairi and the Keyblade, ignoring other potential targets.

 

 

_I don't know if I should be happy or worried that I was right about that fact..._ Kairi thought drearily.

 

 

As the quartet managed their way up Market Street, Yuna and Rikku began to deliberately slow down, so that they were in the back of the party, Yuna occasionally turning about to take pot shots at the Heartless with her shotstaff, unleashing salvos of magic bullets. Her blonde cousin had stowed away her daggers and was digging through the pouches clipped to her hips. Her hands came back holding a pair of cylinders roughly the length of her hand. Depressing a button on the top of the cylinders, Rikku lobbed them into the air, the objects falling down in a lazy arc and landing within the horde of Heartless, who paid no mind to them or the rapidly blinking LED lights mounted at either end of the canisters. They really should have paid attention, as after a short while, both canisters erupted in massive, roaring fireballs that annihilated the vast majority of the monsters with a combination of heat, flame, and concussive force. Those that weren't immediately destroyed were either set aflame or knocked off their feet and sent staggering in every which direction, with Rikku laughing joyously over her entire scene of mass destruction.

 

 

“Um... that's quite a little trick you got there.” Kairi commented. In all honesty, she was a little nervous due to the other girl's jubilant reaction.

 

 

The blonde laughed again. “Yep! Especially so considering it's all hand-crafted.” Rikku proudly patted the pouches on her hips. “It's one-hundred percent, homemade Rikku brand fun and destruction!”

 

 

Kairi's nervous chuckle joined in chorus to the ebullient laugh. _Ah jeez... and only now am I seeing just what I've gotten myself into._

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Eventually, the foursome managed to make their way up to the open plaza of the train station, now free of any pursuing Heartless. Rikku's bombs had obliterated most of them, with Yuna serving as mop up, sniping down the remaining stragglers.

 

 

The plaza was silent and vacant, with the actual train station building wrapped up in yellow police tape, with several signs attached to the glass walls, all warning to vacate the premises and stay away. The monolithic, triple-spired Clock Tower rose high above the building, dominating the skyline, as clear now as it was in Kairi's mind.

 

 

_Wow, this whole Town really went downhill in a hurry._ Kairi thought, seeing the closed up Train Station up close. The rapid decline was both depressing and a little startling. It was nowhere near a week since she had been here, and yet, one of the central landmarks of the town was abandoned and entire areas of the Town were overrun and plagued by Heartless. _I suppose it's possible they had the Stone in place before I even got here and it's been a gradual decline. But still... just how many people have been hurt because of the Organization's plan?_ She then mentally saw Hayner, Pence, and Olette and realized that if she was wrong about the Stone (she was still entirely confident she was right) or failed to destroy it here and how, they could be next. I _'m not doing this just for Sora's sake. There are good people who's lives are at stake. People who extend their kindness to total strangers like me. My friends, and all of Sora's allies, and even more. I'm fighting for them, too._

 

 

“Fantastic. More of these creeps.”

 

 

Kairi looked away from the train station towards Rikku, who had just spoken. More Heartless had spawned in the plaza, forming a loose barricade that blocked the party from the only exit back down Market Street.

 

 

“They just don't know when to quit, do they?”

 

 

“I suppose we should admire their tenacity.” Paine remarked dryly while drawing her sword. Yuna and Rikku followed suit, bringing out there weapons. “Let's finish this quickly and then try and find this Stone.” The dark woman then looked over to Kairi and asked, “You ready for this? Your first real fight.” Kairi simply responded with a steely gaze, summoning Destiny's Embrace, and taking a fighting stance. This seemed to earn an approving nod from the older woman. “Very good.... Then let's go!”

 

 

Paine's voice raised only slightly higher than it's normal volume, but it was still enough to order a charge, the four young women each breaking off to handle their own part of the swarm, though Kairi instinctively kept herself close to Paine, who, for her part, didn't go off into a full charge just in case the new Key Bearer needed to be bailed out.

 

 

The woman in black moved less like a human being and more like a machine made for combat and slaying Heartless. Quick, sudden, powerful, with no wasted motion in each and every movement, Paine slaughtered every Heartless that came near her with ease. Despite the weight and size of her broadsword, Paine's strokes were quick enough to clip and cut the small, agile Heartless with unerring accuracy. At the same time, she had enough power with just one arm to break and tear through the bulky, heavily-armoured Heartless with a single blow. Each and every Heartless fell to a single blow, with Paine paying no mind to them or their dissipating corpses after her blade made contact, simply moving onto her next victim.

 

 

One Heartless – a large, bronze knight with a hollow stomach cavity filled with rusted gears – decided to test Paine and her warpath, charging her immediately after the red-eyed woman had filleted a bird Heartless in two. Paine quickly turned to face her new foe, which was already in mid-attack with the giant battle axe that was fused to it's right arm. Unable to stop the stroke, Paine raised one of her legs, blocking the blade with the greave over her shin and then kick outward, causing the knight Heartless to stagger. With her foe off balance, Paine brought forth her shield and launched forward, repeatedly bashing the defensive armament against the head of the Heartless, pressing it backwards even further, the shield glowing brightly once more. Thrusting the shield again, this time towards the chest of the Heartless, Paine conjured her forcefield wall and then willed it forward. The wall glided across the ground with surprising speed, impacting the knight and sending it flying into the air, where it soon crashed down on a group of the tiny, fast Heartless, flattening them. The momentary distraction dealt with, Paine turned her attention to the remainder of the Heartless that had gathered about her, ready to continue her spree of violence and destruction.

 

 

Rikku's approach to things took a different path, as the blonde began to strafe and weave an erratic path in attempt to catch the eye of as many Heartless as possible. While she slipped and dodged and moved about, between and behind the myriad of monsters, she would badger and harass her targets as well, striking them with little prods and nicks from her daggers. Nothing that would inflict any lasting damaging, but, like her dodging, it served to focus fire on her and annoy the enemy. Multiple attempts were made to bring down the lithe and agile girl – claws and stamps, sword and axe blades, fireballs and bolts of darkness – but they all proved fruitless, as Rikku's dexterity and speed were too much for the Heartless to get a beat on her, the attacks either hitting only empty air or striking the cobblestone streets.

 

 

With countless pairs of fetid yellow eyes trained on her, Rikku continued manoeuvring about, wheeling and weaving as to corral the Heartless into one cluster with herself on the outskirts of said cluster, an impish smile spread across the energetic girl's face. Taking hold of both daggers with her right hand and reaching into one of her satchels with her left, Rikku retrieved another device – a handful of tiny black spheres studded with small silver rivets. With the Heartless still bunched up, Rikku hopped several steps backwards while simultaneously throwing the black orbs into the group, all of them missing the Heartless and falling into the spaces between the black beasts, yet hitting their mark all the same. As the spheres impacted with the ground, they split open and unleashed their payload: a billowing cloud of thick white gas which swallowed up all the Heartless the blonde had gathered together. The temperature in the vicinity of Rikku's bombs dropped drastically to freezing levels, before the gas quickly subsided and vanished, temperatures rising back to normal. The dissipating gas revealed that all of the Heartless were now covered in a thick coating of ice, which Rikku knew had penetrated down beneath the surface, freezing the very being of it's prisoners. Wicked smile getting broader and broader, Rikku gripped both dagger and began to jauntily skip through the field of ice statues, striking at each frozen Heartless with a lightning-fast blur of a stab – one per target – and crossing through her victims with ease. Cracks and splinters began to form along the icy coating of each and every Heartless.

 

 

“Oh, sorry fellas. It was in bad taste of me to give you guys such a... _frosty reception!_ ” Flashing a crooked grin at her own lame joke, the mischievous girl struck a victory pose with perfect timing, as at that very moment, every frozen Heartless simultaneously shattered and crumbled into chunks of ice.

 

 

“Now, see, Red here should take a page out of my book. If she's gonna be the hero, you need a dry wit and snappy one-liners like that.” Rikku said to herself, the icy remains behind her beginning to slowly melt in the sunlight. Another Heartless took the opportunity to swoop at Rikku, who casually leaned to the right to avoid the attack, executing the attacker with two deep dagger gashes across the back.

 

 

Yuna's strategy took a form similar to her cousin's, strafing around her selected group of Heartless as opposed to charging right into them. But, instead of strafing to draw fire on her, Yuna did it to to keep her distance of the monsters, her shotstaff collapsed into it's shorter 'gun mode'. The weapon lacked any form of cartridge, chamber, or ammo belt, but that's because it didn't fire conventional ammunition. Taking aim, Yuna unleashed a short burst of glowing, oval-shaped ordinances, all of which zoomed across the space between the gun's barrel and the Heartless, tearing and boring into the bodies of the monsters, causing them to stagger back with gigantic, searing and smoking holes ripped into their bodies, exploding into nothing shortly thereafter. The projectiles produced by the staff were, in reality made of raw mana that had been drawn from Yuna. The shotstaff was far more than just a magic-shooting gun, as while the projectiles moved at a similar speed to a bullet shot by a conventional rifle, the projectiles were larger (creating larger wounds) they were also made of pure energy and they possessed far greater penetration power than even the largest calibre rounds.

 

 

Yuna kept moving about while sniping down various Heartless, positioning herself so her back was up to the walls of the train station with all the Heartless (as well as the rest of the battle) in front of her, preventing any sneak attacks catching her unaware. The black beasts were undeterred, pressing forward in droves at Yuna, attempting to pin her against the station wall. Little did they know that they had wandered right into a trap.

 

 

Cocking the slide of the shotstaff, a smirk spread across Yuna's face. “Firaga Bullet!” Another lightning-fast salvo of magic bullets were unleashed on the horde, except that these one's were a gradient red and orange instead of bright white. Upon impact with their various targets, the mana bullets exploded in a bright, searing bonfire that scorched and ate at the Heartless, who were so bunched up that each singular Firaga Bullet eliminated three of four of them. The gaggle of fiends all staggered again, slowly sifting apart from one another to prevent being destroyed in bunches, and once again, falling into another of the brunette's traps. Another cock of the slide, Yuna levelled her gun skyward and fired.

 

 

“Thundaga Mortar!”

 

 

A yellow and black orb ponderously streaking upward in an arc, hanging in mid-air at the peak of it's arc, electricity surging and sparking around the orb. The attack's payload bombed downward in the form of multiple crackling lightning bolts that smote even more Heartless, reducing them to nothing and leaving only black soot marks staining the cobblestones. With even more Heartless destroyed – their group heavily thinned and depopulated – Yuna bolted forward through a gap in their ranks, bringing herself to a skidding stop once clear of them. While still drifting on the soles of her boots, Yuna tucked down to one kneed and pivoted her body about as to face the Heartless, with the all-devouring monsters now the ones pinned against the train station wall.

 

 

“Magi Gatling Gun!” One more cock of the slide and it was over, Yuna clamping down on the trigger and not releasing until they were all blown away, fanning the staff left and right while unleasing an endless torrent of small, rapid mana bullets.

 

 

With the Gullwings each taking on their own personal horde of, Kairi was left to watch and marvel at it all. She had never seen anything like it in her life, each of the three women rampaging and eliminating Heartless with an insane combination of power, speed, grace, and their own unique style. Kairi was so absorbed in spectating the fight, she almost forgot she was an active participant and had just come across her first opponent. A lone Heartless – one of the bronze knights with clockwork innards – began to lumber towards her, intending to snuff out the Keybearer's light with it's spiked axe.

 

 

_Okay. Okay. First fight. I can do this. Just remember what Paine and Yuna taught me and it'll be okay. Okay._

 

 

_That thing is pretty big and strong. One shot from it and I'm probably done._

 

 

_It's okay. I'm really quick and nimble. I can dodge it._

 

 

_It's really well armoured, too. I don't think my noodle arms could dent it._

 

 

_It has to have a weakpoint. Just find it and exploit it. Easy enough._

 

 

_I don't think I can do this. I should just retreat until one of the others is free up to take it out._

 

 

_I got to take it out, I have to be the hero. It's not just Sora that's counting on me. There are people counting on me, lives at stake. I have to be the hero._

 

 

_Whoa, this thing actually moves really fast – MOVE MOVE MOVE!!!_

 

 

_Not gonna count myself out, I have to – HOLY CRAP!_

 

 

The large knight proved to be a little quicker than it's bulky frame belied, already close enough to take a swing at Kairi. The redhead was barely able to react quick enough, bringing up Destiny's Embrace to successfully block the axe, but the strength of the blow sent her reeling backwards and launched a wave of numbing sensation running up and down her right arm.

 

 

The Heartless continued it's assault, relentless in it's single-minded pursuit, Kairi doing everything in her power to parry and block each strike. Every strike and block caused her to step back, but she did her absolute best to be aware of the things going on in her periphery, to feel and sense if anything was creeping up behind her; the last things she wanted was to boxed in or pinned down.

 

 

A wild, overhead chop came down at her, Kairi's body moving before her mind did, using Destiny's Embrace to bat the blade away, the force rocking the Heartless and staggering it slightly.

 

 

_What was it that Paine said? Something like, 'Be patient. Find a weak point and pick your spots'._ Her eyes fell on the hollow cavity in it's chest. _Yeah, that looks like a weak spot if I ever saw one._

 

 

Gripping her Keyblade in both hands, Kairi lunged forward, thrusting the flowery bouquet of teeth deep into it's gear-packed innards. The knight seized in apparent pain.

 

 

Seeing as how Paine's advice had worked so well, Kairi reminded herself of Yuna's basic steps for casting a spell. Feeling the mana well up in her center, she forced it to travel down the length of her arms, into her hands, and then all the way through her Keyblade. With all that energy focused in her weapon, she gave it form and unleashed it, brilliant crystals of ice erupting from the back and shoulders of the Heartless.

 

 

Kairi withdrew her Keyblade, as the Heartless crumpled to the ground, it's being disintegrating into shadowy motes. She was short of breath, surprised, and thrilled at the same time.

 

 

It was a tiny, tiny thing, but she had bested her first Heartless. To a fledgling warrior, it meant so much.

 

 

“I did it! I did it!” Kairi cheered, forgetting herself and the moment. “Did you guys see? I did a proper spell! I beat a Heartless!”

 

 

“That's super Red, and we're all so happy for you,” Rikku called from across the plaza. “But, uh, in the time it took you to beat one, we each took out, like two-dozen a piece.”

 

 

Indeed, the entirety of the plaza was quiet, the Heartless threat vanquished. Kairi deflated a bit when she saw that.

 

 

Yuna walked over to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Hey, don't get so down. You did acquitted yourself well in your first real fight.” Kairi perked up slightly at the encouragement. “Even if it's a little step, it's just beginning of something bigger. Good work.”

 

 

“But for now, we need to get down to business and find that Stone.” Paine said, her red-eyes scanning the are intently.

 

 

_Right, the Stone._ At first glance, it looked like she had led them to a dead end – there was nothing matching the description of a towering black spire anywhere in the vicinity, but Kairi just couldn't shake the feeling it had to be here.

 

 

More Heartless suddenly materialized, the Gullwings snapping back to fighting positions.

 

 

“Especially if this keeps up,” Paine growled, lowly. “There doesn't seem to be an end in sight to these things in the entire town.”

 

 

As Kairi whipped her head around wildly, trying to survey the new gaggle of enemies, her eyes looked up to the steeple of Clock Tower, and it's three spires.

 

 

An image flashed in her mind, her brief connection with Roxas. Something was wrong.

 

 

_Did it always have three spires? Or was it two?_

 

 

“Yuna! I need you to shoot at the spires up top!” She pointed at the target.

 

 

The brunette looked confused at the order, but trusted her instinct, and trusted Kairi. Quickly, she took aim at the peak of the Tower, firing a shot big enough to strike all three in one blow. The spires at the left and right were damaged, chunks of stone and tile flying off in all direction. But the one in center produced an event more violent reaction, as the entirety of it's stony base and red, slatted tiles peeled away, revealing underneath the veil was an ominous obelisk of jet-black stone.

 

 

The Blackheart Stone was revealed.

 

 

Immediately upon the revelation, a shadowy nimbus covered the Stone, the sky reflected similarly, with a shadowy cloud forming over top the Stone. The energy surged and crackled and coalesced, eventually taking shape – a great bat-like monstrosity with an enormous wingspan, metal clad jaws and teeth, and eight curving blade-like appendages extending out from it's underbelly.

 

 

Immediately, it's yellow eyes fell upon Kairi.

 

 

“Well, that would be it. The Guardian Heartless.” Kairi declared, trying to stop her teeth from chattering. She couldn't help but be nervous in this situation. And she wasn't entirely sure if the adrenaline surging through her body was helping to calm or exacerbate her nerves.

 

 

The Gullwings had gathered around her, all eyes locked on the Heartless perched on the Tower. Taking a deep breath, Kairi tried once more to settle herself, and trying to mimic the steely, determined looks of her companions.

 

 

“Okay girls, let's do this. Now, we're really on Mission Time.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Feels good, don't it? Especially considering I've had over half this finished on my PC for years, and just stalled for an eternity. Glad I got that monkey off my back.
> 
>  
> 
> -This chapter was suppose to be much longer, but by the end, with it approaching 10K words, I made the executive decision to cut it into two parts, shuffling the rest of it to Chapter 5. I feel like I don't need to make, long, sprawling 15K chapters every time. Chapters only need to be as long as they need to be.
> 
>  
> 
> -Going through so old notes, I found out my original idea featured Tifa and Aerith as Kairi's party, serving as very noted diametric opposites to Donald and Goofy. Final Fantasy characters versus Disney characters. Female versus male. A powerful brawler and a (mostly) white mage versus a shielded defender and a (mostly) black mage. But, I changed course and went with the Gullwings, and I think I made the right choice. They have a strong dynamic with each other, Kairi (or another character...) can fit into the dynamic without interrupting the flow, they all have a unique fighting style and power set derived from Final Fantasy jobs (Paine as a warrior, Yuna as a mage/gunslinger mix, Rikku as a cross between thief and alchemist/gadgeteer), but are still different enough from Donald and Goofy to stand out. So, yeah, that's why that is.
> 
>  
> 
> -I went back and forth on how to incorporate the backstory of the Gullwings; whether to go full ahead with what was established or make something whole cloth, and in the end, I decided to work with the stuff from their games. For the purposes of continuity, imagine a broadstrokes version of the plot and story of Final Fantasy X, with Paine, but without Tidus and Wakka. It won't come up a whole lot, but just to establish some stuff and to give you and idea of where Yuna and the others are, and what they have already gone through.
> 
>  
> 
> -While the fight scene in this chapter serves a purpose – to show-off how the Gullwings fight and their level of skill – I am aiming to keep most of the action beats to major opponents (Organization members and Guardian Heartless) to keep the flow at a good pace. Probably wouldn't make the most entertaining thing to read, having Kairi power-grind off mook Heartless for hours on end.
> 
>  
> 
> -One thing I want to try and do is show Kairi's growth, not just as a fighter, but her motivation and her reasoning. She was sort of pushed into this situation for Sora's sake, now she is starting to realize how many others – people she knows and people she doesn't - are affected by this. And her mindset is going to continued to grow and evolve as she continues on this journey, and I want to communicate that. Because, if there's one thing this poor girl needs, it's actual screentime and development, Nomura.
> 
>    
> But beyond that, I would love to hear your thoughts about the chapter and my return after a long, long hiatus. What did you like? What didn't you like? What thoughts do you have on Kairi's first steps into a much larger world – her actions, fears, and thoughts? All criticism, comments, and contacts are welcome, and I would love to hear for you guys – readers old and new alike. So, please, don't be shy, drop a line!
> 
>  
> 
> I hope I can make this up to everyone and follow-through on my ambitions and desires and do this story to the best of my abilities. And I hope you enjoy the ride with me, too. Thank you and take care, everyone.


	5. Boss Battle

**She Will Light The Way**

**Chapter 5**

**Boss Battle**

 

 

Kairi's body had begun moving before her mind even realized what was happening.

 

 

She ran at full speed towards the train station building, ignoring the various grunt Heartless, and the one gigantic, monstrous Guardian Heartless – Camazotz.

 

 

The Blackheart Stone sat atop the station's Clock Tower. She was the only one who could destroy it. And, if she did, she would save everyone in Twilight Town from further pain and terror, and restore peace to the sleepy little villa.

 

 

She would be one step closer to Sora.

 

 

“Rikku! Go with her!” Paine barked. While Kairi ran to the station, the battle had broken again. The various Heartless buzzed and moved and struck, while Camazotz removed itself from it's perch, taking to the wing and flying in a wide circle around the terrace. Paine chopped down a few Heartless, whereas Yuna blasted some more, also taking potshots at the gigantic bat overhead.

 

 

“Yeah, yeah! I'm on it!” The blonde slipped away from a group of approaching Heartless and began her sprint to the station. A small group of Heartless moved in to intercept the two girls, imposing themselves in the space between the terrace and the entrance. “Looks like you're pretty popular, Red!” Taking out another one of her black and silver studded ice bombs, Rikku hurled it into the group, unleashing it's freezing mist and turning the Heartless into the world's ugliest ice sculptures.

 

 

“Oh, lucky me.” Kairi launched a trio of small Fire spells, little jets of flame that exploded upon impact, burning and shattering the frozen Heartless and fully clearing their path.

 

 

With their head start, Kairi forced her way through the glass doors first, entering the long abandoned station, though Rikku was not far behind. Across the lobby was their destination, a door labeled 'Clock Tower Access'. As the two crossed the room, the entire building began to shake and rattle, as if some large force was battering against the train station.

 

 

_They know I'm here._ The young Key Bearer thought, as Rikku forced the door open. _That thing knows I'm in here._ She had to hurry.

 

 

The accessway took the form of a great staircase, made of wood and metal, that wound it's way up the square tower, seemingly forever. A loud _BOOM_ rocked the place, the tower began shaking in the sound's wake.

 

 

“I'll take lead on this, Rikku!” Kairi declared, beginning her ascent, taking it two steps at a time.

 

 

Rikku swore under her breath at the prospect of such exertion, before following after. “You suddenly seem real gung-ho about this, Red.” She huffed. The tower trembled once more, as the two girls climbed and talked.

 

 

“I-I just realized,” Kairi said in between breaths. “There's more at stake to this than just Sora. If the Heartless are all over town, people could get hurt. If we destroy the Stone, it all goes back to normal, so let's go!”

 

 

Kairi reached down even deeper inside of her, putting her body into a whole other gear she didn't even realized she had, increasing her pace even more, leaving the blonde girl in her wake.

 

 

“Hey, wait up!”

 

 

Kairi ignored her and kept going, only to be quickly stopped by a sudden roadblock. Mere feet ahead of her, a bladed talon pierced through the stone of the tower as it were nothing, shredding portions of the stairway as well. The redhead grit her teeth and skid to a stop, careful not to touch the blade, as to alert the Camazotz Heartless to her presence.

 

 

“Man, this is getting nuts!” Rikku declared, now moving at a much more measured pace. The talon was withdrawn from the tower, leaving a massive jagged rent behind, but the Guardian Heartless was far from done. Continuously, the talons began to impale the structure, all up and down the length of the tower, at random intervals and height, Camazotz desperately and blindly trying to strike at it's prey.

 

 

Despite this, and the racing of her heart, her fear, and the pain in her muscles, Kairi pressed on. Her body was trembling, but she forced her spirit to be redoubled. She needed to be strong here.

 

 

“I'm going up top! We can face it on equal ground, there!”

 

 

“No, Red!” Rikku cried out from below, still moving at a much more cautious gait. “Wait up for me, I've got an idea!”

 

 

Kairi paid her no mind, and soon came to regret it.

 

 

As the apex of the tower came within sight, one of the talons crashed in through the wall just behind her. With the speed she was moving at, it didn't strike her, but the sheer impact and momentum of the attack caught her, sweeping her up and throwing her over the guardrail. A scream bunched up in her throat but was never released. She must have been forty or fifty feet up at this point...

 

 

Thankfully, Rikku was on point, leaping towards the edge, but keeping herself braces against the railing, the hands of the Al-Bhed girl snapping shut around Kairi's forearm. Kairi let out a sigh of deep relief, as Rikku reeled her in from over the edge, depositing her back on the stairway.

 

 

“Thanks, Rikku...”

 

 

“Hey, Kairi.” Rikku was fishing through one of her bags for something. “I know that you're afraid and uncertain, and you really want to help others and finish this as soon as possible, but I gotta let ya know.” The blonde grabbed what was undoubtedly another bomb, this one pentagonal with a tiny bit of pink gel stuck to the end. Another one of the blades stuck through the wall, about twelve-feet above their head. “Right now, you're not fully ready to do everything by yourself. You gotta listen to me and the others. All we're trying to do is help you, 'n make sure we get out of this mess in one piece.”

 

 

With deft and precision, Rikku hucked her explosive at the talon, the gel end making contact against the surface and sticking to it. Soon after, the blade retracted, and was followed by a audible and tangible, roaring, fiery explosion, hopefully wreaking havoc against the Heartless. Rikku pumped her arm in victory.

 

 

“Yeah! That'll fix your wagon, dick face!”

 

 

The two then continued their ascent, moving somewhere between Kairi's frantic pace and Rikku's cautious one. “I'm sorry, Rikku,” Kairi said. “I just, I dunno, something feels like it's pushing me in this direction. I want to go in that direction, but sometimes my body moves faster than I can think or feel.”

 

 

“Ooh, you got that 'hero instinct' bad.” Rikku commented. “Just like Yunie way back when.”

 

 

“But, I just have to ask, do you hate me?” Kairi looked behind her to see Rikku's quizzical expression. “I mean, ever since we met this morning, all you've done is make snide comments about me. Heck, I think that was the first time you used my name.”

 

 

“I don't hate ya, Red.” Rikku said after a long pause of consideration. “I just... I'm the kind of person who likes to push people's buttons, right? And you seem like the kind of person who I can easily wind up. It's kinda fun!”

 

 

_I wish she said that with less relish._ Kairi thought, dimly. The door that led to the rooftop was right in front of them. Just a few more steps.

 

 

Rikku continued. “I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm not your biggest fan or anything. You hear all this and that about the Keyblade and it's chosen, and then you get one? I mean, gimme a break!”

 

 

Kairi bristled as her hand fell on the door knob. She did not need to hear this right now. “Rikku, I-”

 

 

The blonde's hand fell upon the knob, too. Kairi's vision was met by Rikku's. “But, hey, I'm open-minded. Impress me. Show me what you got, Red!”

 

 

Together, the two opened the door and exited back outside.

 

 

High atop the roof of the train station, they found themselves on the opposite end from where the Blackheart Stone. One the plus side, there was a catwalk skirting along the left-hand side, which would leave them right towards the balcony underneath it. On the down side, hovering in the airspace around the Stone was it's Guardian, Camazotz flying in wait, three of the blades on it's left side having been smashed into smithereens by Rikku's bomb.

 

 

Upon their exit, Camaztoz reared back, beams of dark energy firing from the tips of it's remaining talons, streaming and ripping across the surface of the roof, all of their paths leading to Kairi and Rikku.

 

 

Red roof tiles were sent flying into the air, as the two girls dove for cover behind a steepled rooftop, trying their hardest to maintain their footing on the loose surface of the tiles.

 

 

“Yunie! Give us some covering fire!” Rikku cried out the moment the bat Heartless' attack died down.

 

 

“I'm on it!” They heard the voice of the brunette gunslinger call out from down below. “Paine, watch my six!”

 

 

The sound of Yuna's magical bullets making impact with the giant Heartless gave them reason to pop out of their hiding place, to assess the situation. Camazotz's attention was indeed drawn to the ground, unleashing it's dark beams as Yuna peppered it with gunfire. But it still had not vacated the area of the Blackheart Stone.

 

 

“Boo! Boo! Don't give me that puppy guarding crap, you loser!” Rikku jeered at the Heartless, who made no move it heard her. Kairi, meanwhile, had her eyes focused on more pressing matters.

 

 

“What are we gonna do now...” She winced when she saw the entire length of the catwalk had been destroyed by the Heartless' most recent assault. Her eyes surveyed the remainder of the rooftop, all the warped tiling and holes blown into it, trying to come up with some sort of plan. The moment they approached the Stone, it's Guardian would be aware – she didn't doubt that fact – and with the roof in such ruined condition, their movement would be hindered, and it would make for an awkward battlefield. Yuna's suppressing fire wouldn't hold it off forever, they needed to know their next move, and fast!

 

 

Finally, after much deliberating, Kairi turned to Rikku and asked. “Hey, Rikku. Do you think you can distract that thing?”

 

 

Rikku looked taken aback. “What? Me? Be loud and annoying? Perish the thought.” She said in a mocking tone, a wry smile spread on her lips. Then, her tone became more serious. “You're gonna charge the Stone, right?” Kairi nodded, leading to the blonde rummaging through her pouches again. She produced a small black, plastic tube with a hook extending from one end. “Take this, it's a grapple-wire.” Rikku began explaining it's functions. “Press this button to fire the line, this button to retract it. Hold on tight when you do that, the motor has a hell of a kick.”

 

 

Kairi took hold of it in her free hand. “Thanks. Stay safe, don't too anything too reckless.”

 

 

“Right back at ya, Red.” Rikku adjusted her goggles, then pulled out a few more bombs. “I don't know how long I'll last against it, so you better act quickly.”

 

 

On a silent count of three, the two broke rank and charged, Kairi going left and Rikku going right.

 

 

Standing her ground, Kairi took aim with the grapple-wire, but her concentration was momentarily broken by Rikku and her distraction.

 

 

“I am the night!” Rikku screamed at the top of her lungs, hurling bombs at the Heartless. She looked like the picture of a mad woman. “I am.... BATMAN!!!”

 

 

Kairi was drenched in a flop-sweat. _Well... I think I found her wheelhouse when it comes to combat._

 

 

Camazotz was buffeted by the explosions, slowly flying away from where it was attacking Yuna, reorienting itself so that it now staring down the charging, screaming, lunatic Al-Bhed girl.

 

 

With the Guardian distracted, Kairi took aim once more. She was unable to get a clear shot at the apex where the Blackheart Stone was, so instead chose to aim lower, targeting the balcony beneath it.

 

 

_That was the balcony Roxas fell from..._

 

 

With one press of the button, the hooked end fired out, latching on securely to one of the pillars in the area. Easy as that. As soon as she pressed the retract button, however, she felt her entire being pulled through space at ludicrous speed, holding on to the little tube for dear life. “Hell of a kick”, was an understatement, as Kairi was snapped like a rubber band across the rooftop, roughly crashing on the stone floor, chest first.

 

 

“Ow, ow, ow...” Kairi hissed. Magical clothing or not, she felt that. That was going to bruise come morning. Standing up, she turned around just in time to see the Heartless fire all five of it's lasers at the same target: Rikku. Kairi almost cried out in fear, as the girl had no real place to dodge, and she chose what seemed like the worst: to the right, into open air.

 

 

Fortunately though, as the lasers crashed and tore through the roof once more, Rikku pulled out her own grapple-wire, firing it to hook onto the edge of the roof, and then swinging back down the plaza grounds, gracefully and to safety

 

 

Unfortunately, to Kairi, “safety” seemed to be as faraway as her home on the Islands was, right now.

 

 

With Rikku taken care of Camazotz turned it's attention back to her, charging it's beams once more.

 

 

Pointing Destiny's Embrace at the bat monster, Kairi unleashed a flurry of spells, unloading everything she had learned today. Sharp ice missiles and gouts of flame, she even managed to fire orbs of electricity for the first time ever. But, the attacks seemed to do little other than to stun the Guardian and dispel whatever energy it used to charge it's attacks. Assaulted with the hail of spells, the Heartless took a to a different method of getting rid of it's mortal enemy. Extending it's wingspan to maximum length, it took a massive flap, charging dead forward to Kairi and her position, intent on ramming into her and the tower.

 

 

Now, Kairi was faced with the same decision Rikku had just moments ago. She couldn't turn back. If she jumped left pr right, she would fall to the ground, and she had dropped the grapple-wire and didn't know where it currently was. That was not an option, she couldn't afford to move away from the Stone after all the effort it took getting here. And, so, Kairi went the only way she saw left open to her: Up.

 

 

Jumping as high as she possibly could (which was a fair bit higher than normal, thanks Keyblade!) Kairi cleared over the body of the rocketing Heartless, who smashed into the stone of the balcony, unleashing a massive shockwave in all directions. The force caught Kairi from beneath and sent her flying upwards with even greater rapidity, her movement gone out of control.

 

 

Camazotz quickly recovered from it's own attack, latching on to the side of the building, head thrown back, jaws wide open, lying in wait for Kairi's inevitable descent.

 

 

Kairi flew so high she passed by the Blackheart Stone and reached her apex above it.

 

 

She could hear all three of the Gullwings call out her name.

 

 

And then, time seemed to slow down to her.

 

 

Deep down inside herself, Kairi felt something. It was different from her mana, which, admittedly, she had only learned how to channel earlier this morning, but there was a distinct difference. Because she had felt this thing within her before. Way, way back on Hollow Bastion, when she grasped onto that Shadow Heartless, pulling Sora out of the abyss and into her arms. It felt...amazing! Calm and warm and brilliant and _powerful_. So incredibly powerful, that even a doubting newbie like her could feel this and then turn around and take on the entire Organization.

 

 

“This is... this is my Light.”

 

 

She had heard everyone talking about it for what seemed like an eternity. The shining power that lay dormant with the Princess's of Heart. A unique and rare ability that was beyond compare, that, when used properly, could change the course of the world around her.

 

 

“So why is it reacting so strongly now?”

 

 

_Because you understand what you're fighting for? It's more than just Sora. Riku and Aqua and mom, everyone back home. Everyone here in town. Roxas, wherever and whoever he was. The Gullwings and the people back on Hollow Bastion. Everyone everywhere is relying on me._

 

 

An iridescent white aura formed around her body.

 

 

_And your power, it was made to protect and save others. Just like you saved Sora that one time. If you did it that one time, surely you can do it again, Kairi._

 

 

A spark of energy formed deep within the center of her pupils.

 

 

_Save everyone._

 

 

_Protect those you love._

 

 

_Fight against the monsters who would harm them!_

 

 

**[ _RADIANT FINISH: Holy Calibur!!!_ ]**

 

 

Destiny's Embrace was suddenly engulfed in a similar brilliant halation as it's master, taking the form of a sword's blade. Kairi took her Keyblade in both hands and wound up, as her perception of time returned to normal, herself plummeting towards Camazotz.

 

 

“You want this so bad, huh? Then take it!”

 

 

Kairi let out a guttural, primal roar as she swung Destiny's Embrace in a wide arc, unleashing a crescent of pure, holy light energy. Moving at a blistering pace, the Heartless had no time to react, as the blade sliced through it's jaw, severing it in half, passing through and then lopping off the remainder of it's bladed talons! Without anything to latch onto the station, and half it's face suddenly gone, Camazotz began to fall back down to earth.

 

 

Kairi twisted her body around, ignoring the wave of wooziness and exhaustion that was over her, her Keyblade now aimed at the Blackheart Stone. “And one more!”

 

 

She unleashed another arc of energy, which cut through the obelisk as if it were just air, cleaving the top half of the spire in twain.

 

 

All at once, Kairi, the Heartless, and the portion of the Stone all fell from the station.

 

 

Both the Heartless and Stone dissipated into black smoke, but Kairi continued to fall, as her aura died out.

 

 

_I did not think this through!_ The redhead called out in panic as she continued to hurtle towards a world of pain, before being suddenly caught by a woman named Paine.

 

 

Letting out another sigh, as she found herself cradled in the arms of the strong swordswoman, Kairi went to offer her gratitude. “Uh, than-”

 

 

Paine roughly deposited her to the ground.

 

 

“You're welcome.”

 

 

As Yuna and Rikku helped Kairi up to a standing base, the remainder of the Blackheart Stone began to pulsate and glow, eventually breaking apart into black particulate, unleashing a wave of energy throughout the terrace. As the wave spread, the remaining mook Heartless seemed to vanish, either beating a retreat, or forced away by the destruction of the Stone.

 

 

“Well, it was a little touch-and-go, but I think that went pretty well.” Yuna surmised cheerily. “For a first mission, that is.”

 

 

Kairi looked up at the wreck of the train station, knowing it was at least tangentially responsible. She grimaced. “If you say so, Yuna.” Her head throbbed, as the corners of her vision blurred. Why did she feel this tired? Was she even less physically cut out for this than initially thought?

 

 

“Don't sell yourself short,” Paine said, sheathing her sword and shield. “You were able to figure out where the Stone was, you charged headlong into danger to clear the objective, and you took on that giant Heartless by yourself.” Paine's red-eyes looked Kairi up and down. She tried her hardest to look brave and confident, but almost withered under the dark woman's critical eye. “Not bad.”

 

 

Kairi blushed at the compliments, not feeling they were earned. “Eh, I wouldn't have gotten anywhere without you three.”

 

 

“True. Doesn't take away from what you did, though.”

 

 

“Still, thank you all the same. You were a big help.”

 

 

“Hey, hey! We're your support team right!” Rikku came up to Kairi's side, playfully punching her in the shoulder. “We gotta make our heroine look good! And, uh, yeah, not bad.” Rikku pulled up her goggles, revealing her bright green eyes. “I might just come around to you, yet, Red.” She winked and clicked her tongue.

 

 

Before Kairi could respond, a new set of voices called out.

 

 

“Hey, Kairi! You okay?”

 

 

“Is everything safe, now?”  
  


 

“Man, that was awesome! I never knew you could fight like that, too!”

 

 

Kairi turned to see Hayner, Pence, and Olette approaching from the entrance to Market Street, Olette and Pence looking cautious and concerned, but Hayner was excitable and in awe.

 

 

“Guys!?” Something clicked in the back of Kairi's head, as she took a sterner disposition. “Hey, I thought I told you to get to somewhere safe?” She scolded the trio. “How much did you see?”

 

 

“Basically everything from when that giant bat monster first showed up.” Olette explained.

 

 

“And then you kicked it's ass!” Hayner cheered, jabbing at the air. “That was so damn cool, I never expected you had it in you! Why didn't you pull that out on that cloaked freak?”

 

 

Kairi stammered. “Well, I... this is kind of a recent development and...” Her emotions swung about like a pendulum, but she was eventually able to catch herself and calm down. “Look, that's not important. What matter is, the town should be safe now. That black tower was what was drawing all those Heartless in. With it gone, you should be okay.”  
  


 

“Thank goodness.” The three teens looked incredibly relieved.

 

 

Kairi looked back at the Gullwings, Paine making jerking motions with her head, signaling it was time to go. “And, I really wish I could spend more time here, with you guys, but there are other Stones about. Other places and people need help, too, and I guess...” Very briefly, Kairi reflected on the whirlwind events of the last few days. The rollercoaster her emotions had been through. How far she had traveled in just three days. Both physically and spiritually.

 

 

“I guess I'm the one to do it. No... I am the one to do it!”

 

 

“So it's goodbye again, then?” Pence asked. “At least this time we get to depart on better terms.”

 

 

“Take care of yourself, Kairi.” Hayner offered with a friendly wave. “And keep on fighting, ya hear?”

 

 

“And maybe the next time you swing by, you and Sora can come enjoy the town. Together.” Olette gave her a knowing look, causing Kairi to blanch.

 

 

“Uh, yeah, that is... um...” Kairi coughed, causing the brunette to giggle. “Just, stay safe you three. I'll be back before long, I promise.”

 

 

This was only the first in a series of protracted goodbyes, as it took Kairi another fifteen minutes to reunite with the Gullwings and depart from this world. To head to parts unknown. To find more Stones to destroy and more people in need.

 

 

The day could have gone better. It was rough and uneven and not pretty. And, in the end it was just a very small step forward. But, small or not, it was the first step towards something much bigger.

 

 

That, Kairi knew was the truth.

 

 

She would become better, because everyone was depending on her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so Kairi's journey begins in earnest, with a victory and a bloom of hope. It may be just a small first couple steps, and the roads before her is long and perilous, but it's a big step forward for our heroine.
> 
>  
> 
> -So, obviously, Kairi's Light as Princess of Heart is going to play a big role in this story, in her journey. I think it's an element that has been very unfortunately underplayed in the games, in that we only really see Kairi use it, and she's only really ever used it to pull Sora out of the darkness (three times now, and it keeps getting progressively worse, maybe the games can do a little something different with her, huh?). Her Light is going to be a very big asset to her throughout the quest (particularly early on), but she's going to have to learn how to harness this innate power. We've seen her use it a little bit in times of need, but she'll need to push herself later on to master it. Stay tuned on that front...
> 
>  
> 
> -With this story, I sort of wanted to get away from the “Calling Your Attacks” trope. Not entirely, obviously, as Yuna did it a bit in the prior chapter, and not as a knock against the trope- there's a reason why it's so pervasive in so many forms of media – just as a personal thing, a personal attempt to eschew the trope for the time being.... Even if I have names for some of the moves in my head as I write...
> 
>  
> 
> -That being said, you'll probably notice the very noticeable declaration of Kairi's finishing blow, her Holy Calibur. Her Radiant Finish. I like Tokusatsu shows, and in most modern Toku shows, the devices and gears and weapons talk (sometimes they talk a lot; sometimes they talk too much...) including, usually, announcing attack names, versus the characters doing it. So, I wanted to draw upon that for this story. Where the voice is coming from.... I'm not so sure. Yet. Or ever. I'll let you decide whether it's Kairi saying it; or some sort of spirit inhabiting the Keyblade declaring it; or it's not an in-universe verbalization and it's just something for the reader's benefit; or something else, or a combination of the above. Your license, your choice.
> 
>  
> 
> Just when you read it, make sure to do it in your best Norio Wakamoto or Akira Kushida impression.
> 
>  
> 
> -Also, note for the future, both Sora and Riku will be getting their own unique finisher supertitles to go along with Kairi's Radiant Finish. Eventually.
> 
>  
> 
> **Power Levels**  
>  Don't take this section too too seriously. Anything written in these columns are not hard and fast “this number is bigger than that number, so the first number wins”, but rather a comparison of skills and abilities between our band of heroines and their counterparts in the game, as well as the enemies they face, to give you – our faithful reader – a measure of where Kairi is in her journey.
> 
>  
> 
> Kairi is basically Sora in II, fresh out of Twilight Town and just arriving in Hollow Bastion. Maybe a little stronger, as she has a slightly deeper palette of spells, as well as her Light, but she at the start of her journey is comparable to Sora at the start of his second.
> 
>  
> 
> Conversely, the Gullwings are much stronger than Donald and Goofy would be at this point. They are probably close to what D&G would be like by the second visits to say The Pride Lands, or Space Paranoids. So, Kairi is walking around with late game party members in mid-game.
> 
>  
> 
> Due to the presence of the Blackheart Stone, the Heartless in Twilight Town are stronger than they would be by this point in II. The various grunt Heartless are probably on par with the ones found during the second visit to Port Royal, ie about halfway through the second world loop. Camazotz, comparably, is far stronger than any boss Heartless faced in II. Or I, for that matter. Maybe not as strong as Kurt Zisa or The Phantom, but a fair bit stronger than Storm Rider or Groundshaker.
> 
>  
> 
> -Beyond that, not much more to talk about in this one, I think it's speaks for itself. But what about you guys, how do you want to speak for yourselves? What did you think of the action? Of Kairi's first performance in battle? Her burgeoning friendship with the various Gullwings? Any predictions of our next world or whatever other twists I have planne? Either way, please drop a line – review, comments, critiques and anything constructive is welcomed! I'm glad to be back and would love to hear from you guys on how my return is going.
> 
>  
> 
> Beyond that, thank you once more for you time, and take care of yourselves everyone!


	6. Practice and Preparation

**She Will Light The Way**

**Chapter Six**

**Practice and Preparation**

 

 

Kairi felt herself falling, drifting slowly and gently at a controlled pace. The last she remembered was settling in for bed after a long day – after her battle in Twilight Town.

 

 

Her eyes flitted open partially, seemingly blank and unseeing. The world around her, her sensations, her body, it all felt so numb and distance. As if she were watching someone else witness this through their eyes.

 

 

The world around her was an empty, vacant void. Total blackness surrounded her, save for a single, faint light filtering down from the evens.

 

 

No. It wasn't total blackness. The girl's descent came to it's terminus, as she made contact with the surface of...something. She wasn't quite sure. It was all too dark to make anything out.

 

 

“Wh-where...?” Like her sight and touch, her voice was distance. Off. Dry and heavy. The simple act of speech felt difficult in this world.

 

 

_**Do not worry. Do not be afraid. You are somewhere safe. You will come to no harm here.** _

 

 

For whatever reason, Kairi felt at peace here, even despite the limitation to her sensations. Almost as if... she had never been here before, but this space felt oddly familiar all the same.

 

 

Suddenly, rays of light began to pierce the shadows covering the floor she stood upon. The darkness peeled away to reveal a grand, beautiful pillar of glass, rising against the blackness, standing as a beacon among the abyss. Kairi looked down at her feet, seeing that the majority of the stained glass mural was coloured in vibrant hues of ocean blues, soft pinks, and royal purples, and an image was crafted at the top of the pillar. It was herself; a full body shot of her, looking supremely confident, standing with her arms at her side, a Keyblade – not Destiny's Embrace, but one Kairi didn't recognize – held in her right hand. Her likeness stood before a double landscape, divided in half among the meridian. One section showed the sunny, tropical islands she called her home; the other was a majestic castle and town (presumable Hollow Bastion during it's past glory days). Above the head of the stain glass Kairi was a ring of circles, though they were mostly blank, only two of them bared images – head shots of Sora and Riku. The outermost ring of the pillar was lined with a repeating pattern, alternating between stylized hearts and her lucky charm

 

 

_**You have retreated into the depths of your heart, a path many Bearers before you have followed. You have awoken to your powers as a wielder of the Keyblade, and so, it falls upon you now to choose what road you will walk and what form your power shall take.** _

 

 

Kairi nodded along, slowly. It almost felt like she was in a trance. As if she had no choice but to follow along. But, there was something more. More than the directions of the voice. Something else had brought her here, and was guiding her being through this.

 

 

_**First, you must select the what type of strength is it that you desire.** _

 

 

Several pedestals raised up from the aether around Kairi. One by one, weapons appeared, nestled in the cradles of the pedestals, radiating with power and light. Among there numbers were...

 

 

A sword

 

 

_**The Power of the Warrior. Courage to act decisively and strength to bring justice to the suffering.** _

 

 

A staff

 

 

_**The Power of the Mystic. Unrivaled wisdom and intellect, with curiosity to seek out the arcane secrets of the worlds.** _

 

 

A shield.

 

 

_**The Power of the Guardian. The determination and resolve to always safeguard that which you love and cherish.** _

 

 

An axe.

 

 

_**The Power of the Destroyer. Ferocious might and untameable rage to smite those that would stand in your way.** _

 

 

And finally, a bow.

 

 

_**The Power of the Hunter. Swift of foot, bold of spirit, with insight and precision to find the truth even in the darkest of nights.** _

 

 

_**Choose, Young Bearer. Choose the power you wish to wield.** _

 

 

Kairi looked around through her clouded vision and fogged mind, the description of each weapon reverberating in her head. There was certainly one she didn't want, no matter what. The others all had traits that sounded positive, but, there was one, one that stood out like a blaze of light. It perfectly echoed with sentiments she had thought of during the battle in Town.

 

 

Kairi walked over to the shield, placing her hand on the pedestal.

 

 

“This one...”

 

 

_**The Power of the Guardian. If that is your choice... however, with possession, comes sacrifice. With want, comes rejection. Before you accept your choice, you must choose one other power to swear off. To forsake in it's entirety.** _

 

 

This decision took much less deliberation. Still standing near the shield, Kairi's eyes traveled over to the axe, locking on to it and nodding.

 

 

Without warning, the shield burst into motes of light, while the axe crumbled into dust. The motes floated around Kairi's body, before being absorbed into herself.

 

 

_**And so you claim the Power of the Guardian, while rejecting the Power of the Destroyer. So be it.** _

 

 

The rest of the weapons vanished, as the now empty pedestals began to vibrate and enlighten. Something new was forming within their cradles.

 

 

_**Next, you must seek out a Virtue that resonates within the core of your heart. A Virtue you seek and desire.** _

 

 

Statues of people she knew began to construct themselves atop the altars, facsimiles carved in white stone. The first, was one of Riku, looking both strong and confident, as her friend was want to do.

 

 

_**The Virtue of Valour. Strength. Confidence. Stamina. An undaunted force, never to be bested in the physical world.** _

 

 

The next statue resembled Aqua, the strong and noble Keyblade Master Kairi had briefly crossed paths with, looking serene and collected.

 

 

_**The Virtue of Patience. Focused. Unerring. Infallible. An inner strength that cannot be extinguished or broken.** _

 

 

Next came Sora. The sight of him made Kairi's heart skip a beat. He was posed in a half-crouch, an arm extended, as if helping someone stand up.

 

 

_**The Virtue of Compassion. Warm. Loving. Open-handed. A desire to help the helpless, no matter the cost to yourself.** _

 

 

The final statue contained multiple people, including herself, oddly enough. It featured Kairi, Sora, and Riku, all holding hands, standing in a circle with their backs to each other.

 

 

_**The Virtue of Unity. Peace. Togetherness. Hope. A call to salvation and the will to protect the dreams of yourself and your loved ones.** _

 

 

As much as Kairi admired Sora and Riku and Aqua, and tried to emulate them as best she could, she knew there was only one real answer. Only one real thing she wanted and desired.

 

 

Kairi moved to the statue of herself and her two friends. Safe at home. Happy. That is what she wanted.

 

 

_**Your heart seeks Unity. A return to peace and happiness.** _

 

 

_**And now, you shall commence your final trial.** _

 

 

More and more pedestals appeared along the surface of the pillar, almost blanketing it in it's entirety. Kairi could no longer see the mural beneath her feet. More statues appeared on the altars, but these were formed of glimmering crystals.

 

 

_**You must find a choose a Primal Spirit. To guide you. To protect you. To bolster your spirit. To manifest as the truest expression of your soul.** _

 

 

Now Kairi was truly confused. Primal Spirit? What did that mean. Her body still acting beyond her total control, she moved among the various statues, taking them in, but not understanding any of this. There were so many of these crystalline figures, but she had no idea what any of them were, or what they were suppose to represent.

 

 

She saw a ferocious dragon king made of onyx and alexandrite. A demon wreathed in flames, carved from topaz and bloodstone. A statuesque woman of pearl and sapphire. A giant. A unicorn. A sea serpent. A wolf. An angel. A castle. More and more. Constructs of various shapes and sizes, all flawlessly crafted from precious stone, but none of it meant anything. Kairi only saw the form of the statue, but gleaned no truth and felt nothing.

 

 

Then she came across it.

 

 

A majestic bird with a truly colossal wingspan and elegant tail feathers, all made of glinting ruby and rainbow opal. Much like when Kairi came across the shield and the statue of her and the boys, she felt a pang of knowing and want in her heart. This was the one.

 

 

_**Phoenix. A bearer of intense flame and endless light. A bringer of life. A cycle of life and death and rebirth, growing stronger with every revival. Shall you take Phoenix as your Guide?** _

 

 

“I will.”  


 

This strange, strange world seemed to melt away to Kairi, even more of her sensations robbed, as she drifted away once more. Somehow, she knew her time was done here. Her task complete.

 

 

_**You have chosen the Power of the Guardian. You have forsaken the Power of the Destroyer. You desire the Virtue of Unity. You have taken Phoenix as your Primal Guide. This is the true manifestation of the power sleeping in your heart.** _

 

 

_**The path before you will be long and winding. You will be challenged. You will find both victory and defeat, hope and despair. Do not worry. Do not be afraid. You will not be alone in this task. Even when it feels that all else has abandoned you, your heart shall never fail you. The choices you made today will always be a part of you, deep down.** _

 

 

_**To find your salvation, to obtain that which you desire, all you need to do is keep true to your heart, and let your Light guide you forward on the path, Kairi Shiratori. Kairi Ralleone.** _

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Days had passed since the skirmish on Twilight Town, and despite the strangeness of...everything, Kairi had found herself falling into a routine.

 

 

With days of travel at hand between destinations, between worlds infested with the Blackheart Stones, the Gullwings all insisted on creating a training routine for the fledgling Key Bearer, which she more than agreed with. While she had held her own on Twilight Town, Kairi knew that that performance wouldn't cut it in the long run. She had to get stronger. She had to get faster. Smarter. Braver. More decisive. More confident. More aware of her surroundings

 

 

Kairi had to get better.

 

 

And so, her training began in earnest the very next day after leaving the sun-soaked streets of Twilight Town. In the morning, her and all the Gullwings would engage in various basic exercises, all to get her body up to snuff. “We may be building something fantastic, but even a fantastic creation needs a solid foundation,” Yuna had explained sagely. So the four young woman would engage in their training; weightlifting and drills of push-ups and sit-ups, to build up her muscles strength in her arms and legs and core; yoga and stretching, to increase her flexibility and to teach her to focus under pressure; a combination of both long distance running and sprinting, to increase her stamina. Footwork drills to increase her agility, mobility and, well, footwork. Sometimes, they would just play games, all of which had a purpose, but was a nice diversion. Though, mostly it was just a variant of dodgeball, where Yuna, Rikku, and Paine would take turns passing a ball between each other/trying to hit Kairi, as she dodged around. Yuna pulled her punches. Paine and Rikku did not.

 

 

In the afternoon, it would be a double period of learning magic with Yuna, and ending with swordfighting training with Paine. Kairi really enjoyed her magic lesson with Yuna, partly because it was the least physical portion of her training (though, oddly enough, it was easily the most exhausting part). Now that she had been able to cast magic in the field, channeling her mana and turning it into a tangible spell came much easier. Her fireballs and ice crystals were much larger and moved much faster and, with a little concentration, she could edit the forms the spells took the instant before they were cast. The further their lessons progressed, the more varieties of magic Yuna taught her. Cure came first – Yuna called the spell essential – even if casting it completely wiped Kairi on the spot. Thunder came next, and before long, Kairi had trained it up to be as powerful as her Fire and Blizzard magic. Aero. Gravity. Magnet. Water. Gaia. Yuna had given her a thorough rundown of the various types of Black Magic, all of which Kairi had at least gotten the basics down. Her aptitude in White and Green Magic, however, was so far less than stellar. Her Esuna was...okay. Half the time she would end up flubbing it, the other half it ended up having the desire of effect, but she had yet to extend it's range beyond five-feet. Protect, Shell, and Reflect were in a similar state, as well. It was a roadblock, and it was frustrating, considering how quickly she had taken to her elemental spells.

 

 

Not to mention, Yuna had told her until she mastered her first three Green Magic spells, they would not touch Time Magic (Kairi though that sounded incredibly fun and interesting, and was dying to learn it, but the motivation had done no good in her lessons).

 

 

Their lessons took multiple forms, from Yuna calling out an element and a form for it to take, and Kairi trying to answer the challenge, to Kairi just casting as many spells as she could as fast as she can, to trying to channel her mana and maintain concentration during a distraction (usually involving Rikku), to target practice with various drones and gadgets and gizmos Rikku had cooked up. In each lesson, Yuna was quick to offer encouragement when Kairi succeeded, as well as gentle criticism when she failed, and was always there to guide her to the correct answer, and seemed to possess infinite patience for those days that Kairi got frustrated with the lessons and her self, her lack of progress.

 

 

Following a short break, her training day would conclude with swordfighting lessons with Paine. The House of Paine, Rikku so aptly put. The teachings would begin simple enough, with Paine teaching Kairi various forms and stances, as well as various techniques, also explaining the physics and reasoning behind every choice they made. Kairi found all this very interesting and easy to grasp. No doubt helped by the fact that Paine's teaching style was as blunt and direct as the woman herself, making it very easy to pick-up. Following the theoretical, however, came the practical.

 

 

Each day, Kairi and Paine would duel and spar for hours. And Paine continuously wiped the floor with the younger girl.

 

 

Paine only armed herself with her broadsword, eschewing her shield, and knew no magic (though, Paine would throw the occasional punch or kick to mix things up). She would always tell Kairi, everyday, go all out. Throw everything you have at me. Even with all her magic, strength, speed, and wile at her disposal – and all of that improving, day after day – Kairi was utterly overwhelmed by Paine's raw strength and skill. It didn't matter if Kairi focused on offense, or defense. If she fought wildly, or conservatively. If she stayed up close, or kept her distance. It didn't matter. Paine was too good for Kairi to best as of now.

 

 

And while Kairi was no slouch in terms of physical health prior to getting the Keyblade (her two best friends were rowdy, energetic boys, she needed to be able to keep up). And while Kairi knew the training was necessary, and was deeply satisfying (both physically and spiritually), it was starting to grind her down. Every night, she went to bed exhausted. Every morning, she woke up sore. It was constant.

 

 

Another thing constantly bothered her since leaving Town, too. It was the power she called upon to defeat the Guardian Heartless. She wasn't sure where it had come from, other than some vague portion of her heart, and that it was this fabled “Light” everyone went on and on about, that she didn't have the foggiest idea of how to access, or even what it was. Kairi felt like an idiot sometimes. Everyone else seemed to know so much more about her, and the Princesses of Heart, than she did. While this power was never on the forefront of her mind, it nibbled away in the deepest recesses of her mind, and came out during moments of failure and frustration. Further compunded by the fact that none of the Gullwings had definite answers for her either. Kairi was on her own, it seemed.

 

 

That's why, three days after Twilight Town, she was relieved they had reached their next destination; Blackheart Stone number two.

 

 

Kairi was relieved to get a break from her training, but also anticipating getting to show-off her newly earned skill and abilities in the field.

 

 

The Stone was located on a world known as The Land of Dragons, a world Sora had recently visited, she learned from reading his old Journal before bed. But, she had no time to retrace his steps, or meet his friends. Their target was placed on the peak of a snowy mountain, and so the four began their trek up the rocky mountain path. Every step of their journey, they were harangued and harassed by the Heartless, and Kairi's performance was like night and day. She was able to immediately spring into action, make decisive choices about how to handle her foes, and struck them down in droves. During some skirmishes, she felt like she was equalling the Gullwings in her vanquished tallies (the lance-wielding centaur Heartless did give her a hard time, but that just made her more thankful for her backup).

 

 

While the hordes of monster were relentless, they eventually scaled to the summit, the Stone, and it's Guardian Heartless. It was a much more controlled affair than the chaotic scrum through the station terrace and Clock Tower, but the result was still the same as on Twilight Town – victory. Kairi was almost in sheer disbelief, when the Heartless fell and the Stone disintegrated. Just how much she had improved in such a short while, how much better she had gotten. Sure, she still had a very long way to go, both in her training and her mission, but the progress was startling.

 

 

_Maybe, just maybe, I can actually do this. Maybe I can save Sora after all..._

 

 

Routine snapped back into place following the adventure to The Land of Dragons (despite the name, Kairi saw zero dragons that day – what a let down), as Kairi continued her training. Two days after departure, the redheaded heroine found herself once more dueling Paine, having already lost five times this session, with this bout most likely being their last of the day.

 

 

Kairi was deadset on ending the day with a win.

 

 

With Rikku sitting in the corner of the training room, refereeing (well, she was suppose to be, it seemed she had been more occupied playing a video game all afternoon), the sixth duel commenced, Paine immediately going on the offensive. Sometimes, very rarely sometimes, Paine would throw her pupil a slight bone by attacking in a set pattern they had practiced at some point, as a way to ease Kairi into the fight, as well as test her memory, reflexes and intuition. As soon as Paine opened with a high horizontal slash, Kairi already had her next six moves read and planned out.

 

 

Diagonal slash, from shoulder to hip. Kairi quickly backstepped away.

 

 

Horizontal slash at midsection. Kairi blocked the blow.

 

 

Vertical slash to the shoulder. Once more, Kairi blocked, batting Paine's sword away in the process.

 

 

Thrust. Thrust. Two more juking backsteps, and then Kairi would go in for her attack. Paine's next move would see her plant the tip of her blade on the floor and then go for a twisting, crescent shape strike. Kairi knew perfectly how to dodge the attack and -

 

 

Paine kicked her in the gut, sending the redhead sprawling to the floor.

 

 

“What? Can't make it too easy for you, now can I?” Came her response when she saw Kairi's shocked expression. Paine moved in for the attack again.

 

 

Kairi's first instinct was to stop the assault with Reflect, but was only able to produce a shimmer of light, instead of the sturdy, mirrored hexagonal plated barrier. _Come on!_ She yelled at herself in annoyance, before switching to her backup plan. Channeling mana again, she generated a jet of explosive flame at the tip of her Keyblade, aiming it at the ground, sending her rocketing away from the charging Paine. The dark and dour woman even looked faintly impressed, as she made ways to dodge the fiery wake Kairi had left behind.

 

 

Still airborne, Kairi followed up her flames with even more, sending twisting helices of fire at her tutor, who sprinted in a wide circle to avoid. Now with the momentum on her side, Kairi pressed the advantage, touching down and launching more magic – long, narrow spears of ice and water – while charging at Paine. With this round of attacks much faster and covering a wider area, Paine stood her ground and swatted them aside, as Kairi jumped to close the gap, using her Blizzard and Water spells as cover against any counter attacks.

 

 

Kairi made a quick swipe at Paine, which was blocked, Kairi instantly withdrawing her attack and trying again. She had learned the hard way to avoid locking blades with the much stronger and taller woman. Fast and precise attacks were the way, as of now. So, the novice warrior unleashed a flurry of two-handed blows against her more experienced foe. For a while, it seemed to be doing the trick, as Paine had trouble keeping up with the rapidity and ferocity of Kairi's offense. On their own, the slashes weren't much, but chained together like this, it was like standing before a wall of blades. Kairi's heart skipped a beat when she saw one or two of her blows slipped past the woman's guard, Paine having to make a split-second movement to avoid getting hit.

 

 

Like she realized days before, she could do this. She was getting better. Just a little more and she could finally win.

 

 

Mid-swing through her next slash, Paine's left hand reached out and seized around the base of Destiny's Embrace's blade. _What!?_ Kairi thought in panic, as Paine easily overpowered her, wrenching the Keyblade from the girl's hand, and tossing it aside.

 

 

If Paine were just a hair slower, Kairi would have struck her in the neck.

 

 

But she wasn't.

 

 

Paine's left hand did more work, smashing into Kairi's cheek and jaw with a ferocious blow, while the girl was still stunned by what had happened. She was sent reeling, and given no time to recover, as Paine began attacking her with measured sword blows, once more. Kairi did her best to dodge, but was out of luck without her lack of armament, not helped by the fact her opponent's position was on point: Paine stood directly between Kairi and where Destiny's Embrace had landed.

 

 

_This is bad._ Kairi thought, desperately trying to find a way to retrieve her weapon. Paine wasn't going to attack relentlessly, which was both good and bad, as it gave Kairi time to breath, but very few openings as to slip past the grey-haired woman. She then noticed they were standing near one of the walls of the room. _This is risky, and tricky. I've never cast a spell without my Keyblade. But the principle should be the same, and I just need a little bit to make this work._

 

 

Extending her hand out, Kairi did as she always did when casting a spell, except ending the mana in her finger tips and willing it out, trying desperately to cast Blizzard. It was more “snow flurry” than “blizzard”, but it did the trick, the spray of white powder catching Paine unaware and blinding her. Quickly, Kairi sprang towards the wall in a diagonal, intending on springing off of it while she was lateral to Paine, and then using her momentum to go around her and grab her Keyblade, moving in a V-pattern.

 

 

Kairi soared through the air, one foot and one hand bracing against the wall, reading to launch. The she felt Paine tackle her, sandwiching her against the foundation. Even blinded, Paine had somehow anticipated Kairi would go around to her left, throwing her entire body towards the wall and hitting paydirt. Trapped and surprised, Kairi was powerless when her foe seized her under the arm, hurling her overhead, and then slamming her down against the ground, edge of the broadsword leveled with her throat.

 

 

“I win.” Paine stated, coldly, still only able to see at half-capacity, her eyes redder than normal.

 

 

“Yeah! Suck it, Shadow Yukiko, you bitch!” Both Kairi and Paine turned at the sound of Rikku's exclamation, seeing the blonde was still engrossed in her video game. “Oh? Is it over? Kairi lost again?” The blonde stated when she met the gaze of the two others. “A'ight I'm done for the day then. Gonna help Yunie make dinner. See ya!” And with that, the blonde happily skipped out of the room.

 

 

Kairi sighed in defeat, as Paine stood back up, rubbing half-melted snow out of her eyes. “You did good today. Your best attempt yet.” Paine stated. “You kept me off my toes for a bit, and you were able to use magic with just your hands. Wasn't bad.” Unlike Yuna, Paine was much more reserved on her commentary during lessons. Offering very little in the way of praise or condemnation, instead expecting Kairi to figure out what she did right or wrong. “Although, I have to ask you, why did you not just return your Keyblade to your hand when you lost it?”

 

 

Kairi sat up, eyes wide open in shock. With a twitch of her fingers, and not even half of a thought, Destiny's Embrace vanished and then reappeared in her hand. “I... I guess I just forgot about it. In the heat of the moment.” She felt like such an idiot. How could she possibly have forgotten she had that ability?

 

 

“That's not good. Even in the middle of a fight, you can't let your concentration lapse. Always be aware of your surroundings. But also, be aware of what you can and can't do.” Paine went to stow her sword on the rack set up on the very far wall of the room. “We're done for the day. Go hit the showers.”

 

 

Kairi sat their dumbly for a few seconds, as Paine walked past her. “Paine, wait!” She called out, as the older woman was about to exit the room. “I was just wondering, do you think Sora made mistakes like this when he first started out?”

 

 

The red-eyed swordswoman shrugged. “I don't know.”

 

 

“Well, I just keep thinking about all the things he's done, and how much he accomplished, and-”

 

 

“Hey!” Paine said, slightly raising the volume of her voice. Kairi stopped talking and looked at her companion intently. “Have you ever seen him fight?” The Key Bearer shook her head. “Then stop thinking about 'what would Sora do' or 'how would Sora handle this'. Stop comparing yourself to him. You're not Sora, and you don't know what struggles he did or did not go through.”

 

 

 

Kairi looked confused. How could she not compare herself to Sora? They were both Key Bearers, both in similar situations. Only difference was, Sora had so much more belief in his abilities and self and -

 

 

“Hey!” Paine said again, once more, a little bit louder than usual. “Stop that. I know you're thinking about him. I can read you like a book.” Kairi blushed and averted her gaze. “Stop comparing yourself to him in a way that disparages you. It's not conducive to anything positive.” Even looking away, Kairi could feel Paine's unerring, focused gaze fall upon her. Pierce through her flesh and see the most vulnerable side of her. “You're not Sora. Stop trying to be Sora. Just be you.”

 

 

“But what if that isn't good enough?”

 

 

“Then be better.”

 

 

Kairi shook her head in disbelief. “Is it really that simple?”

 

 

“Yes. It is.” Paine once more made her way to the exit, conversation ended. “Oh, by the way,” she added, halfway through the threshold, “You're getting the day off tomorrow. No training.” That was...unexpected. Kairi had not had a day off since they left Twilight Town. “You've been working really hard and we're all impressed. You deserve some rest. Plus, we're closing in on our next destination. Can't have you worn out when the real fighting starts.”

 

 

Kairi was then left alone in the training room, Paine's boots echoing off the walls of the ship's interior. Left to collect her physical self off the ground, and to collect her thought splayed about her head. Paine had left her with a lot to chew on regarding what she wanted to accomplish, and how she wanted to accomplish it. Embarrassingly enough, Sora consumed her every waking thought. Whether it was wondering if he was okay, or why he would go through with such an ordeal and sacrifice, to reflecting on the fact that she was following his footsteps, wondering how he got along through the worlds, what his training and first adventure and initial impressions were all like. Again, she couldn't help but make comparisons between herself and the blue-eyed hero she knew and loved.

 

 

...And she couldn't help but think of all the ways she fell short next to Sora. All of his victories and all her failings.

 

 

_Is Paine right? Is it wrong of me to keep thinking like this? To think of Sora every step of the way?_

 

 

As Kairi trudged off to the showers to clean up, the answer did not come, and, she felt like she would not discover it for quite a while.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

When they were whisked away from Twilight Town, Namine had wondered where exactly Riku had planned to take them to. If he had an idea of a world to hide, or if he just wanted to finally be rid of DiZ and Twilight Town after so long.

 

 

When she finally exited the Corridor, she was stunned by his decision. A small, vacant island in the middle of a brilliant azure sea. The little play island that Sora, Kairi, and Riku once spent all their carefree childhood days on.

 

 

It must have dearly hurt Riku to come here, Namine soon came to realize. Not only to come home for the first time since he had been pulled away into the Darkness. Not only to come home without his friends at his side. But to return to their childhood paradise, empty, broken, and despondent.

 

 

Fortunately, the island was quiet and peaceful, bereft of inhabitant, Namine had toured around it's vicinity once or twice, finding only scant signs of wildlife, and no people. The trinity of friends had long ruled the roost here, and really only they and their extended circle of companions would come here. Now, over a year after Sora and Riku left, and it seemed time and the others had left this place behind.

 

 

It was little sad, truthfully.

 

 

But, for the near week since they had absconded from DiZ, Namine and Riku spent most of their time cooped up in the little cavern he and his cherished friends had dubbed “The Secret Place”, which was even more abandoned than the rest of the play isle. It was an unspoken rule that this haven was only for the three of them, and even Riku had spent much less time in here versus Sora and Kairi. Still, it served as a welcomed sanctuary for duo. Even if they just did nothing.

 

 

Namine was frustrated by the lack of action and movement, spending most of her days sketching and doodling her notepad. She was rapidly running out of pages. Next she went into town to buy food and supplies, she would have to grab a fresh one.

 

 

Riku was tense, impatient, restless. Day after day, stewing in his own anger and uselessness. It wasn't just the situation they were in, Namine knew, it also had to do with his current form. The image of the Heartless being known as Ansem, which Riku was now assuming. That shred of blackness within him that he had to tap into. To him, it was distressing and uncomfortable, but Namine assumed there was more to it than that. Being in that form was damaging Riku more than just psychologically, and he had to do something about it before long.

 

 

Riku had many “somethings” he had to do. But was currently occupied with nothing.

 

 

Namine looked down at her current art project, the second to last page in the book. It was a sketch of Roxas, Sora's Nobody, that poor boy that suffered so much for so little. A pang of guilt and pain rang through Namine's being. She wish Roxas was still here. If Riku hadn't been so desperate to revive Sora, he could still be here. She and Roxas could have been together more often, Sora and Roxas could meet and join forces against their enemies, Riku and Kairi would be safe and better off...

 

 

But it wasn't fair to blame Riku. To fully blame Riku. Namine's hands were dirty in this, too. If Roxas ever came back, he would probably despise both her and Riku for all the things they did...

 

 

Sighing, Namine tossed her pad aside, the sketch of Roxas half-unfinished. “Riku, what are we doing here?” She finally asked. Riku did not answer, he was currently lurking in a shadowy corner of the cavern, pacing without purpose. “Riku.” Namine raised her voice slightly. “What are we doing? What are we going to do? What are you going to do?”

 

 

The last question was the correct one, Namine shouldn't fool herself into thinking she could contribute. She had no magic or Keyblade or special abilities. Just these horrid memory powers that did nothing but cause pain and suffering.

 

 

Maybe she was the root cause of all this chaos? Maybe everyone would have been better off without her?

 

 

“I'm planning on something.” Riku's gruff voice cut through Namine's despair. Or, rather, “Ansem's” gruff voice did. Namine shivered in disgust.

 

 

Pressing beyond that, the blonde girl said, “It's been nearly a week. You need to face facts and finally go and meet with Kairi.” Riku stirred in the darkness. “You need to help her! She's alone and struggling and fighting and the thing she needs more than anything else is a friend. Be that friend!”

 

 

“I can't!” Riku snapped, which was alarming. Namine was one of the few people he would even bother handling with the tiniest amount of care and gentleness. “I can't see Kairi right now. Not after all I've. All I have failed to do. She probably hates me...” Drawing out from the shadows, Namine could see more of the vague shape that was Riku garbed in the black cloak. “I couldn't bare to see her hate me. It would be...” Riku turned to look at Namine. “How familiar are you with my life? After seeing Sora's memories?”  


 

Namine rubbed her arm awkwardly. “A bit, I suppose. Not extremely well.” She still possessed the ability to recall almost everything she had witnessed within Sora's heart, but she despised recalling it, or looking further into them. Those precious memories belong to Sora, and don't deserve a little witch like her meddling in them even more.

 

 

Riku sighed, leaning back against the cave wall. “When my parents divorced, when my mom left and took my sister with her, and my dad buried himself in his work... they were all I had. Sora and Kairi. They were my family. My brother and my sister.” The forlorn darkness-user looked down at his hands in futility. “And look at all I did to them! I destroyed our home, tried to kill Sora out of petty jealousy, sacrificed an innocent life who didn't deserve it, and now...” Riku balled his hands into fists, his body trembling in anger. “If only I actually had the courage to face Sora when he woke up, to accompany him. To fight alongside him against the Organization. Or, or, or... if I got wind of Axel's idiotic plan and went to head him off. To grab Kairi and take her somewhere safe, take her to Sora.

 

 

“If only I wasn't such a coward.”

 

 

_He realizes all of his faults and past mistakes, but is still committing the same mistake._ Namine analyzed, eyes cast down to the sandy ground below them. _His hesitancy. His hatred of his form. His fear that Sora and Kairi will reject him, and he'll be left with nothing._ Then again, Namine was not the person who could criticize another for their cowardice.

 

 

Instead of voicing her concerns, Namine asked again, “So, Riku, what are you going to do?”

 

 

A long moment of silence followed, as Namine kept her vision trained on the shadows Riku was occupying. Finally, her companion made a wide motion with her arm, opening a Corridor of Darkness.

 

 

“If the Organization need the Keyblade to release hearts to make their Kingdom Hearts, then they'll be taking Sora all over the place, to slay Heartless on various worlds. He'll be out of their stronghold, vulnerable, even if they chaperone him about. That's my chance. I'll watch the pathways of the Corridors, and intercept them. I'll grab Sora and run, take him to Kairi. Make things right. And then... those two will fix everything. They're the heroes here.”

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

“Man, little lion Sora it toooo cute! He looks so soft and cuddly! I wonder if there's a way where I can stay a person and he can become a little kitty?”

 

 

Kairi was exceptionally grateful to have a day off, especially after two excursions and all the training piled on her, but, she soon found herself filled with malaise and boredom as to what to on her day off.

 

 

The Gullwings had sealed off the training room in it's entirety, so she couldn't even do some light weightlifting or spell training to occupy her time. She and Yuna were on dinner duty tonight, but that wouldn't come until later. There was a television in a small recreation room, alongside a strange application called “Flix Caster” that was apparently some kind of interplanetary video streaming service (Kairi wasn't entirely sure how that worked, most worlds seemed to lack that manner of technological infrastructure...), but she didn't feel comfortable lounging around and watching TV all day. And there weren't any books present on the ship to read, either.

 

 

So, she defaulted to her new favourite pastime: retreating to her bedroom and perusing through Sora's journal and learning about all his adventures.

 

 

Okay, yes, technically the journal belonged to and was maintained by one Jiminy Cricket, but it was all about Sora, and he had taken the time to scribble various notes into the margin, so to Kairi, it was Sora's journal and Sora's alone.

 

 

Kairi's heart was always lifted, even in the moments of her deepest exhaustion and worry, whenever she read through the little book. Seeing all the things her best friend had accomplished on his journey – the fun he had, he challenges he overcame, the people he met, and the lives he changed – Kairi wanted to memorize every detail available. And that's why, she was greatly disappointed that, for whatever reason, this journal only contained information about his most current adventure. It started with him waking up in a basement in the old mansion in Twilight Town, having missed a whole year ( _Why was he sleeping down there? And, seriously, I knew you were a lazy bum, but that's bad, even for you!_ ). And there was this strange note at the beginning of the journal – just two words – that read “Thank Namine”. Kairi didn't know what that meant, or what Sora had to thank this person for, but every time she read or said that name, she felt a phantom pain echo throughout her heart.

 

 

But, regardless of this person and why Kairi felt this way, the girl was sorely disappointed the journal contained nothing about when Sora first received the Keyblade. When he was first sent headlong into the unknown on that quest to find her and Riku and return home. Paine's words were engraved onto her soul, about how she should stop comparing herself to Sora because they knew nothing about what he felt when it all began, and so, Kairi wanted to _learn_ just what exactly Sora was feeling way back when.

 

 

That probably wasn't the lesson Paine was trying to teach her, but it was the lesson Kairi took.

 

 

After staring at the various photos of Sora in his absolutely _adorable_ lion form, Kairi set the journal aside and sighed, lying atop her bedspread.

 

 

Paine's words had more of an impact on her than she would like to believe, and she had spent most of her idle time trying to divine an answer within herself. Even if she knew she shouldn't compare herself to Sora, to stop doubting her own abilities and beating herself down... there was more to this than just that. There was more than Kairi thinking Sora was better than her for whatever perceived courage or failures or successes or whichever. Kairi was walking a path that Sora had walked a year prior, their actions had sparked a connection, and she wanted to know just how deep and strong those bonds were.

 

 

_Maybe I should just ask him when he's safe and sound and this is all over. Maybe that's easier than worrying about this every waking hour of the day._

 

 

A knock at the door drew her attention, where Yuna was popping her head through the doorway.

 

 

“Kairi? Get ready, we'll be at our next world in less than an hour.”

 

 

“Okay. Thanks, Yuna. I'll be on the bridge shortly.”

 

 

The answers to her questions still eluded her, but Kairi had work ahead of her, so she pushed it all deep down inside her for now. What Paine had said mattered, but it didn't. She would try and stop being so negative about herself and deferential to Sora, but her best friend would always be in heart and on her mind. He had carved the path that Kairi was following, and she would do her best to emulate him.

 

 

Kairi would be the hero that everyone needed, and she would do it just like Sora would.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

“It would seem we have an issue at hand here.” The Organization's Superior, Xemnas, declared to his underlings.

 

 

All the remaining members of Organization XIII had gathered in their opulent, extravagant, and highly impractical meeting room. A barren white chamber occupied by thirteen towering thrones that could escalate and deescalate in height as need be, and no other furnishings, leaving the only ways up and down from the seats was via Dark Corridors. Currently, only five of the thrones were occupied, so perhaps Organization V was a more apt title for the collective of villains.

 

 

“It would seem our wayward Princess of Heart has not only survived her voyage into the Realm of Darkness, but has gotten wind of the Blackheart Stones. Two have already been destroyed.”

 

 

The four other Nobodies reacted in various states of surprise. Both Xigbar and Luxord look stunned, Saix and Xaldin looked slightly irked.

 

 

“But then, that would mean -” Luxord began, only to be quickly cut off by Saix.

 

 

“The girl has a Keyblade.” The scarred man said, distastefully. “It seems nowadays anyone can find themselves in possession of a Keyblade. What a waste to be given to that worthless child. I can't imagine she should prove such a threat.”

 

 

Xemnas gazed unerringly at his subordinates. As Superior, it was only natural his throne loomed over all others, vacant or occupied. “I would not be so hasty as to disregard her and her abilities. The Keyblade draws much of it's strength from the heart of the wielder. And a Princesses of Heart finds themselves so full of power, brimming with everlasting light. If given the opportunity to run wild, her power could grow exponentially, and bring ruin to everything we have worked so hard to achieve.

 

 

“I shall not let that happen. We will eliminate her with prejudice at the soonest opportunity.”

 

 

Xigbar cackled and clapped his hands. “Now that's why you're the boss!” He pointed an approving finger up to Xemnas. “Always so proactive and on the ball. Just say the word, and I'll put a bullet right between her eyes, and then it's night-night for the little bird.”

 

 

“I would gladly volunteer my services, Superior.” Luxord offered, withdrawing a deck of card from within his cloak and shuffling them, showing off his various techniques for no other reason than he could. “I have always truly desired a chance to test my fortitude and ability against a wielder of the Keyblade. Even if it is the young lady, I cannot openly reject such an opportunity.”

 

 

Once more, Xemnas looked down upon the four, studying them, even Saix and Xaldin, who remained intractable and made no offer to attack their foe.

 

 

“At this juncture, it is best we remain on our set course.” Xemnas said, slowly. His booming, methodical voice always commanded authority, even when it was a true rabble of thirteen in the chamber, however brief that time was. “For now, I would like the three of you,” he motioned to Saix, Luxord, and Xigbar, “to keep accompanying our beloved guest into the other worlds, to slay Heartless, and to complete our great work. Be certain not to mention recent developments. So long as he believes his friends have fallen, his hopes and dreams will remain dashed, and he will not resist us.”

 

 

Then, Xemnas turned towards Xaldin.

 

 

“You, Xaldin, I shall entrust the task of dealing with our newborn Keyblade Wielder. Hunt her to the edge of existence, and strike her down without mercy.”

 

 

The dreadlock maned man nodded with a steely expression, barely any emotion coming to him as he was asked to murder a fifteen year old girl. “I shall gladly take up this task, Superior, and I will not fail. The first chance that opens up to me, the Princess will perish by my lance. You have my word.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, remember when you first played KHII and ran into Xaldin for the first time? No reason. Just asking for a friend....
> 
> -I wanted to do a Dive To The Heart scene for Kairi (I think more and more characters should be granted the honour of having this), maybe I should have done it earlier, after the first chapter, before she woke up on Hollow Bastion, but I think it fits fine here. Kairi's first mission has come to a close, her training begins in earnest, and so she awakens to the new strength within her. I also wanted Kairi's to be different from all the others, for hers to stand out, because each of the Dive scenes have been similar but distinct. Sora's in I is different from Roxas' in II is different from Sora's in III is different from Sora's in I.
> 
>  
> 
> -I never liked Riku's arc in II. Outside of it feeling like a boring retread of the stuff he did in COM, it just feels like a forced and contrived way to keep the characters separated from one another, as well as a cheap way to build suspense, what with him referring to himself as “Ansem”. So, bit of a retcon here. Riku rejects the Ansem identity, sees him as himself, and his reasons are staying away from his friends are more complicated and psychological. He feels deep shame for what he did, and doesn't think he can face either Sora or Kairi without making it up to them somehow. And he keeps constructing higher and higher hurdles for himself to clear, because Riku thinks he isn't worthy of forgiveness or redemption. Not helped by the fact that tapping into that twist shard of Ansem still within his heart was the wrong move. It gave him a power boost at the time, enough to defeat Roxas, but now the power is backlashing on him and making him weaker, slowly killing him. Whether he deserves forgiveness or not, Riku has to do something about that first and foremost...
> 
> -One trope in the Kingdom Hearts series I have begun to find irksome is “the villains need the heroes alive, so that they can do something”. Now, on it's own, the trope is perfectly fine, but KH has overused it to such an extreme extent. It's present in COM, II, BBS, DDD, III, hell, you could even argue in Days, since Xemnas needs one of Roxas or Xion alive, just not both. And it was used really well in COM, worked fine in II and BBS, but by the time DDD rolled around, it was just overdone. Trite, boring, and cliche. And then you get to III where it's even moreso. And then you can bet in IV, Luxu, The Foretellers, and the Master of Masters will need Sora to do something first, so they can't kill him either.... With this story, that trope does not apply. The Organization has Sora in their employ. Anymore Key Bearers present only jeopardizes their plans. So, they are coming at Kairi full force, guns blazing.
> 
> -Also, I can understand if some of you might find Namine out of character in this story, but hear me out, I do have so logic to her characterization. I always found that she is a character defined by her tragic, horrible existence. Basically abused by all of her caretakers her entire (short) life, she has internalized a lot of that abuse and, as a result, carries a lot of self-loathing with her. Namine wants nothing more than to help Sora and Kairi as well (and feels guilty for what happened to Roxas), but sees herself as useless and powerless, and has to rely on Riku, who is running at less than a hundred percent right now.
> 
> -As for Kairi's current internal debate regarding her idolization of Sora, well, remember this story isn't just about Kairi becoming a warrior, but also about her development, as a character, as to what kind of hero she wants to be. I don't want to say her following and imitating Sora is unhealthy and wrong, that she places him on too high a pedestal, that there should be more to her than just being a Distaff counterpart to Sora, but... there is. There should be. And if, heaven forbid, Nomura actually decides to treat her as a character instead of just a Sword of Damocles to hang above Sora, and Kairi gets her time to shine in the games, she should be. Sora can be Sora, and Kairi should be Kairi.
> 
> -Also, after writing several stories where Sora and Kairi are a couple, it is so weird to write Kairi referring to Sora as her “best friend” than “boyfriend”. It's weird and it's wrong and I don't like it!
> 
> But, that will do it for me for the time being. Another chapter down in the books. What does everyone think? About Kairi's Dive and her choices and their ramifications? Of Kairi's training and progress? What moves will Riku and Namine make to counter the Organization? To help their friends? And to fight back against the dark clouds hanging over their heads? Don't be shy, I'd love to hear from each and everyone of you, so please, take a few minutes to share a few words. It'd mean the world.


	7. An Ominous Wind Blows Through

**OOOOO  
She Will Light The Way  
Chapter Seven  
An Ominous Wind Blows Through**

 

 

The past several years had been a long, winding, tragic road for the young King of the land of Disney.

 

 

From receiving his Keyblade and beginning his tutelage, to befriending the other young Key Bearers of his generation, only to lose them one-by-one, to seeing various worlds swallowed up by the darkness. Upon Sora sealing the Door to Darkness, he thought the road had finally come to an end, thinking that even more when he met and befriended Riku within the depths of Castle Oblivion, helping the boy confront and conquer the darkness lying within.

 

 

And, then, it all came crashing down.

 

 

Riku was pushed to desperate lengths in his quest to save Sora, torturing and damaging himself and taking upon the image of the being he hated the most.

 

 

Sora was swept up within the schemes of the Organization, placed in a no-win situation where he was forced to sacrifice his freedom for someone he deeply cared about.

 

 

Now, their mutual friend Kairi was forced to step up in their place and try and pick up the pieces, fighting against her tangible enemies and her own dreadful fears.

 

 

And King Mickey Mouse was still trudging along this road, hoping the end would come soon, hoping for salvation for the many others he had passed along the way.

 

 

After departing from Hollow Bastion in the Gummi Ship that had been (until recently) in the possession of Sora, the Mouse King began to scour the worlds in search for Sora's lost companions, Donald Duck and Goofy having been swept aside by the Organization and cast into darkness. Fortunately, it didn't take nearly as long as Mickey thought it would to find them, and that they had arrived on a hospitable world – one they had recently visited, the Pride Lands.

 

 

With the two of them secured, Mickey decided a little detour might do some good. As Donald and Goofy rested and convalesced aboard the ship, Mickey went to pay a little visit to his old master in order to better assess the situation, gain clarity on his next course of action, and... to settle the doubts plaguing his heart.

 

 

And so the road brought him back here, where his journey began, the tower sanctum of Master Yen Sid.

 

 

“I do apologize for the sudden interruption, Master.” Mickey said, after a quick exchange of pleasantries between master and pupil. Well, former pupil in truth, but Mickey had never fully considered himself successfully graduating from apprenticeship.

 

 

“Not at all, Mickey. It is always good to hear from my old student.” Conversely, Yen Sid did consider the monarch worthy of ascending beyond his tutelage. “Even under such dire circumstances.” There was a brief pause, as the wizened wizard observed his former student. “I have done as best I can to keep myself abreast of the situation, but I would like to hear the goings on from someone who has had their feet on the ground.”

 

 

Mickey shook his head sadly. “I'm afraid I can't tell you much, Master. Ever since leaving Hollow Bastion, I haven't had much contact with anyone else. As far as I know, Sora is still the Organization's captive, Kairi has just begun her quest, and Riku is... he's broken away from Ansem, but I don't know where he is or what he plans to do.” The young King deeply sighed at the thought of his wayward friend, as Yen Sid stroked his beard in contemplation.

 

 

“I see, I see.” The Master murmured to himself. “I do wish there was more I could do for the three of them from here, but I'm afraid things of spiraled out of control beyond my worst imagined scenarios. I never thought an intruder would stumble into the Islands and usher young Kairi beyond their protective boundaries, nor would the Organization make such a brash play. When you informed me of Sora's impending awakening and his need for guidance...”

 

 

“I didn't think things would turn out this way, either.” Mickey said, eyes cast down at he floor of the study. Partly because Yen Sid's unerring and focused gaze was set upon him, peeling away at his being to peer into the deepest recesses of his heart. Even after all these years, Mickey found his Master intimidating in the worst of times. “All of this, all of this heartbreak and separation and tragedy, it reminds of what happened ten years ago.” Now, Mickey raised his vision to meet eyes with the wizard. “What happened to Aqua, and Terra, and Ventus.”

 

 

Yen Sid shut his eyes ponderously and sighed. One of denial and rejection. “Now, Mickey, it has been long enough that I thought you would have learned that was beyond your control. Beyond our control.” Then, very quickly under his breath, Yen Sid added, “Though it is more than a little ominous both those events and our current predicament were orchestrated by an iteration of Xehanort...”

 

 

“I understand that, Master.” Mickey countered in protest, missing the softly spoken addendum. “But all the same, it's just a little too eerily familiar to watch three friends be torn apart like this. Even after all this time, the three of them are still gone. Completely vanished. And I would hate for that to repeat, with Sora, Kairi, and Riku.” Yen Sid knew his former student deeply missed the other three Key Bearers from a decade ago. Though they had met only briefly, Mickey had always been a compassionate and empathetic individual, and the fact that he couldn't be of much assistance to his fellow wielders in their greatest hour of need had always followed him, even after all this time. “Especially Riku.”

 

 

“I have been thinking quite often about those six in recent days,” Yen Sid said, seemingly changing subjects away from the Mouse King's heartache. “Both our recently crowned Keyblade Wielders, and our three lost Bearers. In fact, I have been retracing the paths the latter took during their trials and tribulations and have come up with an interesting theory.” Now, Mickey was looking expectantly at the sorcerer, his hopes seemingly buoyed by the musings of his old teacher. “Now, while I lack any concrete proof as of yet, I do believe that Aqua, Terra, and Ventus all crossed paths with our three young Bearers of this day and age, a decade ago.”

 

 

Yes, yes, that made some sense. Mickey was present when Aqua had an encounter with a young redheaded girl on a world once known as Radiant Garden, he recalled. That would match up with Kairi. Right appearance, right location, right age.

 

 

“But what does that have to do with anything, Master?” Mickey asked, earning a chuckle from Yen Sid.

 

 

“Many, many things. Hopefully. It means that Sora, and Kairi, and Riku possess a link with the past, with out lost Bearers. With the tragedy from ten years ago. And as we've seen before – and hopefully will see again – the bonds that Sora, Kairi, and Riku share with each other are strong. Incredibly strong. A power that can defy all expectation and reality. That link the three share with each other and with others – including those lost to us – is the key to bringing and end to the Organization and setting things right.”

 

 

“I... think I understand.” Mickey said, slowly. He had seen and heard of many miraculous things those three had been able to accomplish, but this still felt like a big leap to take based on a theory even the Master wasn't entirely sure of.

 

 

“You're skepticism is warranted, to a point.” Yen Sid said, as if sensing what his former student was feeling. Another old habit and trick of the sorcerer. “Our situation is dire, but we have all seen the wondrous and impossible things the heart can create, even greater when two hearts are linked together.” Mickey nodded. “The connection those three share is special, but it will not create a miracle on it's own. We must have faith in our friends – for Sora to maintain his hope within the depths of despair, for Riku to once more succeed while struggling against himself, and for Kairi to stand up to this challenge and overcome it and herself. And, we must give them a helping hand in creating a path where they can finally reunite.”

 

 

Looming over his desk, Yen Sid looked down at Mickey and asked, “Now, do you have faith, Mickey?”

 

 

From his tone of voice, Mickey knew his Master wasn't referring to others in general. He was speaking of one person specifically.

 

 

“I do.” Mickey did believe in Riku. Even if he had lapsed. Even if he had given in to a darker impulse in desperation. Riku was strong and courageous, and valued Sora and Kairi above all else. For the two of them, Riku would overcome. “I have faith that Riku will cast aside this shadow and be himself once again. That he will reunite with Sora and Kairi soon enough.”

 

 

Yen Sid found the answer deeply satisfying, nodding in approval. “And what will your next course of action be? To assist our young Keyblade Warriors in their trial. Do you know?”

 

 

“Of course I do! We still need to find a gateway into the Organization's stronghold. Even if we can't defeat them then and there, at the very least, we can stage a rescue of Sora.”

 

 

It was funny how Yen Sid could simply use a few words and gestures to clear up Mickey's disposition. Mickey supposed that was just the proof of their connection, that his Master could see deep within his heart and knew exactly how to cure whatever ailed it.

 

 

“Then go forth, my faithful student, Master of the Keyblade. Find the path to light upon the hopes and dreams of others, and let your heart guide you to a better and brighter world.”

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Kairi and the Gullwings warped down to their destination world, one that was dominated by a dark, Gothic castle planted in the middle of gnarled and twisted forest. Like with their transit to Twilight Town and the Land of Dragons, the four girls appeared in a sudden beam of light, being deposited right in the middle of the dark and gloomy interior of the castle. It was deathly still and silent, no one other than the four otherworldy travelers were present. Kairi couldn't help but feel she should recognize this world, that it seemed familiar from her readings of Sora's adventures, but she couldn't quite place it.

 

 

Besides, she found other matters more pressing at the immediate time.

 

 

“I wish the system hadn't dumped us into the middle of the castle.” Kairi admitted in a quiet voice, as she and the others gathered their bearings. “Makes me feel like we're a bunch of thieves, breaking in in the middle of the night...”

 

  
“If you're feeling like a thief, then you're with the right company, at least.” Said Yuna with a slight laugh. Kairi felt herself smile at that, despite herself and the situation.

 

 

“If this is a world Sora has been too, I'm sure they're use to a bunch of strangers appearing out of thin air and barging in to their personal business.” Paine pointed out, red-eyes piercing through the darkness around them. Kairi only shook her head.

 

 

“I would honestly prefer to do things a little more properly than 'barging in' on people.” The Key Bearer stopped. For a moment, she thought she had heard something. Something very light and quiet striking the stone and carpeted floors about them. But it was so faint she very easily could have been imaging in it.

 

 

It was silent now, but she kept herself on guard and alert.

 

 

“And I don't just want to rely on goodwill earned from Sora.” She finally allowed herself to continue, after mimicking Paine and scanning the general area. “We should do this the right way. Let's sneak back out and try knocking and asking permission.”

 

 

Paine snorted softly. “Have you seen how big those doors are? How big this room is? No one is gonna hear us. We're fine just rolling with where we've been put.”

 

 

“Also, sneaking out wouldn't change anything.” Yuna pointed out. “We still broke in, technically.”

 

 

Kairi pouted and puffed up her cheeks, petulantly. Yuna was suppose to be on her side. “Well, you said I'm Leader right? Then, as Leader, I'm making an order.”

 

 

“You are the Leader, but this is also a democracy. You're being overruled.” Paine said.

 

  
“Since when our you guys a democracy? You didn't want to have lasagna for dinner last night, so you challenged everyone to arm wrestling for the right to decide what dish to make.”

 

 

“I don't like baked pastas.”  
  


 

Yuna sighed and shook her head, as Kairi and Paine continued to argue in stage whispers. “Well, it seems like Kairi has really started to gel with us. She's almost acting like a real Gullwing, right Rikku?” Her cousin didn't immediately respond. “Rikku?”  
  


 

During all of these antics, Rikku had skulked off a bit from the three, eyeing some of the artwork and various fancy looking objects scattered about the area, fingers twitching in anticipation (old habits do die hard, after all). But, the blonde behaved herself, mostly because she was a teensy bit irritated by the bickering in the background. More the circular nature of it than anything else.

 

 

“All right, Rikku, looks like it's all up to you.” She told herself, while clearing her throat. With both her hands cupped around her mouth, the blonde shouted into the black haze around them.

 

 

“Helloooooooooo! Anybody heeerrreeee!?” The suddeness of the outbursts silenced her two teammates, as Rikku's voice echoed and bounced off the cavernous walls of the castle. “Sorry to bother you, but we're just you're friendly neighbourhood Keyblade Master and her friends dropping by! Wondering if you've seen anything weird? Like a big, ominous looking obelisk? Stuff like that!? HELLOOOOO!?”

 

 

“Rikku!” Kairi hissed, still speaking in hushed tones, despite Rikku's boisterous declarations. “What are you doing?” She had left the remote to their shock collars on the Ship, she was just realizing. It might have been handy to have, here and now.

 

 

“I'unno.” Rikku shrugged. “Just figured I'd get the ball rolling. You two weren't settling stuff anytime soon, and hey, they are friendlies on this world, right? Wouldn't hurt to just announce that we're here.”

 

 

Begrudgingly, Kairi had to admit to herself the blonde made a lot of sense. She still wasn't comfortable with the idea of, what was essentially, breaking in to someone's home, but the sooner they made contact with some friends, the easier things would go. But something else also struck her as odd. How seamlessly she just sort of fell into a trivial argument with Paine, even in the midst of something of critical importance. It almost alike in her little spats with Sora or Riku, or with her school friends like Selphie and Rydia. Had she really developed a report with the Gullwings that quickly?

 

 

Pushing the thought aside, Kairi took another look around the chamber. There was still no sound or movement, despite Rikku's announcement. Was the castle empty? She wish she had brought the Journal with her. She could swear the name of this place was right on the tip of her tongue...

 

 

“Regardless, I think it's time we should get moving.” Yuna stepped to Kairi's backside, placing a hand on her shoulder. “We're not going to accomplish much if we just stand around and talk. If we explore, we're likely to find someone to assist us, or even the Stone itself, if we get lucky.”

 

 

Paine agreed through actions, as opposed to words, taking long strides forward through the the darkened atrium. “This is a world Sora has been to, right?” She asked Kairi, as she moved.

 

 

Yuna and Rikku followed along with their friend, leaving Kairi to lag behind. “I think. I'm having trouble remembering the full picture, but it all seems familiar to what I've read in Sora's Journal.”

 

 

“Ah, so you're all friends of Sora. That would explain much.”

 

 

“That were are.” Kairi said, almost automatically. Then she realized she didn't recognize the speaker's voice – a suave, French-accented masculine tone. Kairi and the Gullwings all stopped in their tracks and scanned the room, but finding no one else in the vicinity.

 

 

“Um... excuse me, is someone there?” Kairi asked, weakly.

 

 

“Down here, madam.” There was second speaker too, another male with a refined accent to his voice. They could also now identify where the voice was coming from, closer to Kairi than the others.

 

 

The four girls looked down near Kairi's feet to find... well, Kairi certainly didn't know what to expect, but she was still caught off guard by what she saw.

 

 

There was a golden, three-branched candelabra and a small, brown pendulum clock, but they were more than just everyday household items – they were... mobile! Ambulatory. Alive? As the girls looked on, the candelabra hopped towards them, while the clock awkwardly tromped over on it's four stubby “legs”, giving them a better view, and also revealing the objects had humanoid faces. The candle within the central holder had eyes, a nose, and a mouth sculpted out of the wax, while the face of the clock was also the face of a person, it's two hands serving as a mustache.

 

 

Kairi's brain tried to process the sight, she knew some of the worlds and it's inhabitants would be very different from the narrow sample she had experience, but this was a little too much too fast for her. Over her shoulder, she cast a look at her companions, hoping them could offer an explanation.

 

 

“Don't look at us like that, this is a new experience for the three of us, too.” Was all that Paine offered.

 

 

“Do not be alarmed, mademoiselles,” the candle greeted warmly, as he and his companion approached closer. Kairi bent down at her knees to get a closer and better look. “We were merely drawn by the commotion you made,” Paine smacked Rikku on the back of her head, “but we were most fortunate to find friends of that dashing young man, no?” The living candelabra made a sweeping motion with both arms, bowing to Kairi. “Allow me to introduce ourselves, I am Lumière. And this is my constant companion, Cogsworth.” Lumière motioned to the clock at his side.

 

 

“It's good to meet you, Lumière. Cogsworth.” Kairi returned, the wheels in her brain turning in overdrive. She had certainly read those names before. “I”m Kairi. And these are Yuna, Rikku, and Paine.”

 

 

“A pleasure to make all your acquaintainces, I am certain.” Cogsworth replied, stiffly and formally. “But I do have to ask, you four made quite a racket earlier, and I would advise against such things. Our Master is not wholly receptive to unwanted visitors showing up on our doorstep, unannounced.” The redhead bowed her head in contrition.

 

 

“I'm so sorry about that. We didn't mean to just barge in here.”

 

 

Cogsworth nodded with his oddly flexible wooden clock neck. “It's all right, I'm certain. Just a word of advice and – HEY!”

 

 

Without warning, Rikku had scooted forward and snatched Cogsworth into the air, examining him with an intense and inquisitive eye, while the clock man vehemently voiced his opposition to such treatment.

 

 

“I say, this kind of treatment is unheard of! I am a steward of this castle, and I shall not be handled in such a manner, now put me down this instance!”  
  


 

Rikku ignored the complaints, keeping all her attention on the body of Cogsworth, particularly his inner workings. “Say, clock dude, awkward question her, but uh... do you mind if I try and take you a part? See how you... 'tick'?”

 

 

Cogsworth trembled in rage, as his clock hand mustache rapidly rotated around the circumference of his face. “As a matter of fact, yes, I would mind that very much, madam!” He shouted, the tone of his voice almost equally Rikku's earlier, despite his admonishments of the Gullwing's earlier actions.

 

 

“Okay, okay, jeez, sorry I asked. Don't get your gears all twisted up...”

 

 

“Wait! I remember now!” Kairi stood up to full height, hopping slightly on the balls of her feet. “Lumière. Cogsworth. You two were once human. You were changed into these forms by the curse of an enchantress, right?” Both cursed humans nodded. “That settles things, this is Beast's Castle.” Honestly, it was embarrassing it took Kairi this long to remember, seeing as how The Beast was one of the few of Sora's companions she was even remotely familiar with. The fearsome, moody, and temperamental creature that had wandered through the darkness through sheer force of will, coming to Hollow Bastion to rescue one of her fellow Princess's of Heart, Belle.

 

 

_Wait... Lumière and Cogsworth mentioned a “Master”... and this is_ Beast's _Castle.... And the four of us our intruders..._

 

 

Kairi's eyes shrank to pinpricks.

 

 

“Oh no...”

 

 

As if answering her realization, a fierce and violent roar split the air, shaking the very foundation of the castle. The Gullwings all stood on edge, expecting a fight, while both Lumière and Cogsworth wore worrisome faces.

 

 

“Intruders! Always intruders! If it's not one thing, than it's the other!”

 

 

From the top of a balcony mostly shrouded in shadows, far off in the back of the room, a large shape leaped down, clearing the great distance between the balcony and the girls, and crashing down on the floor before them. A hulking, bestial figured covered in fur appeared before four, growling threateningly at the intruders. Paine and Yuna stood to fight, where Rikku took a different approach.

 

 

“Holy crap!” The blonde exclaimed in fright, taking several brisk steps away from the monster. “Protect me, clock guy!” Rikku held out Cogsworth at arms length, surprising the clock man, who stammered nervously.

 

 

“Beast! We're not your enemies!” Kairi quickly said, trying to avoid an unnecessary fight. “We're sorry for entering the castle without permission, but we're here for a good reason, and Sora -”  
  


 

“ENOUGH!” Beast bellowed, rearing up to his full height, showing off the entirety of his formidable glory. Oddly enough, one of his hands was bandaged up. “All of you, leave at once! I will not offer you another opportunity!”

 

 

Paine and Yuna showed no sign of backing down, Beast showed no sign of relenting, but Kairi showed no sign of giving up the pacifist angle. Peering beyond the darkness behind Beast, Kairi saw a figure coming down the stairway, and desperately hoped this was who she thought it was...

 

 

“Belle. Belle!” Kairi cried out, jumping up and down and waving her arms, trying to draw attention to her. As the figure grew closer, her appearance became more apparent – a young woman in her late teens or early twenties, with dark brown hair tied back with a blue bow that matched the colour of her dress, and a white apron worn overtop it. Kairi was more than grateful to have her feelings confirmed, that her fellow Princess of Heart was here. “Over here, over here! We could use a hand.... You remember me, right?”

 

 

Belle quickly stepped forward, settling next to the Beast, her very presence seeming to calm the hulking, cursed creature just a bit. With a semblance of peace restored, Belle's brown eyes began to study Kairi, who smiled awkwardly underneath the scrutiny. “Wait, yes, I think I do remember. From last year, you were with the other Princesses... Ka... Kal... no wait, Kairi. It was Kairi, wasn't it?”

 

 

“Yes, yes! I'm glad you remembered me.”

 

 

Belle smiled softly. “You've changed so much, you were a little difficult to identify.” This caused Kairi to chuckle nervously, scratching at the back of her head. Belle then turned to Beast. “Kairi is Sora's friend, Beast. There was no need to get so angry at them.”

 

 

Beast shrunk away in shame, taking time to look at each of the girls in the eyes. “My apologies....” He grumbled in a low voice.

 

 

Yuna and Paine had similarly settled down, taking a more relaxed stance. “We're at fault here, too.” Yuna apologized, with a slight bow. “It was a bit out of our control, but we shouldn't have just showed up in your home without warning, and caused such a ruckus.” The brunette looked to her cousin, who also offered a mild, quiet apology.

 

 

Belle then turned back to address Kairi. “But what are you doing here? You're the last person I ever expected to arrive here.”

 

 

“Trust me, a little while ago, I would've said something similar.” Kairi said under her breath, eyes cast down to the floor. “Well, it's a bit of a long story, but Sora....” She really should just be honest with Sora's friends as to what his fate was, but Kairi didn't think she could stand to. The darkest corners of her mind formed terrifying nightmare thoughts that if she did spill the beans, everyone would hate her for being so weak and vulnerable. That she was the reason why everyone's hero had been stolen away. That she was just a knock-off trying to fill a role that wasn't meant for her.

 

 

But, then, as Kairi's own doubts consumed and assailed her, a part of her heart flared up. Soothing waves rippled throughout her body, and she could feel they weren't just coming from just herself, but from Belle, as well. In that moment, her Light bathed her in sanctity and reassurance, intensified and amplified by the nearby presence of Belle. _The Light of a Princess of Heart is strong. But when multiples stood together, it only grew stronger and brighter._ The ripples of energy she felt within her were so much more clear to her than any other time in memory. _It's not simple addition. Or even multiplication. The power is growing exponentially, maybe even quadratically..._

 

 

Maybe everyone would hate her if they found out Sora had given himself up for her. Maybe they would show her pity. Or sympathy. Maybe it wouldn't matter, and they were just desperate for a hero. But none of that really mattered, at the moment at least. Kairi had a quest to do, and all the various minutiae surrounding would only complicate things.

 

 

_Save everyone._

 

 

_Protect those you love._

 

 

_Fight the monsters._

 

 

Those were the things that mattered.

 

 

“Sora is busy elsewhere,” Kairi finally said, calmly and confidently. “But there are other things that need to be done, and I'm picking up his slack.” She flashed an easy and charming smile. Sora would always smile whenever something was troubling her, or Riku, his parents, or his sisters, and he probably did the same to those he came across, those who's hearts were in distress. “Right now, we – oh, these are Yuna, Rikku, and Paine, by the way – we are looking for something the Organization is using to further their goals.” Beast snorted in derision at the mention of the nebulous villainous group. “It's something called a Blackheart Stone. This big black pillar sorta thing. I don't suppose anyone has seen something like that?”

 

 

“As a matter of fact, we have.” Belle answered, earning a surprise reaction from the four adventurers. That was a promising answer.

 

 

“It was around three days ago.” The Beast said in his rumbling, animalistic speech. “Without warning, it was just there on the rooftops.” Beast held up his bandaged paw. “It looked suspicious, so I tried to root it out, but... something strange happened the moment I touched it, and it injured me.” King Mickey had said the Stones reacted very strongly when touched by anything other than a Keyblade. Guess that settled that mystery.

 

 

“Well, talk about a lucky break! 'Bout time, too!” Rikku declared cheerfully, pumping her arms as she walked forward. “We know where it is right off the bat. No hunting or grunt work or fussing around required. All we gotta do is head to the roof, take out the Guardian, and then Kairi can give it the old chop-chop and we're on our way!” The Al-Bhed girl playfully bunched Beast in the arm, drawing her a weird look at the familiarity with which she addressed him. Not to mention she was cowering at his appearance not five minutes ago. “Lead the way, Beasty boy.”

 

 

That comment just drew her an even stranger look. However, nothing could be said or done in response to Rikku's antics, as the gigantic double doors to the castle suddenly blew open, a violent and powerful gust of wind blowing through the area, whipping up everyone's clothing and hair, and sending an ominous chill reverberate through everyone's bodies. A figure crossed through the threshold, leaving heavy footfalls that echoed throughout the cavernous chamber. He was dressed in a black cloak, immediately identifying him as a member of Organization XIII, this figure being one of the ones Kairi was not readily familiar with – the tall and intimidating man with the ornate dreadlocks and immaculate muttonchops.

 

 

Immediately, the tension in the room rocketed up several levels, beyond the point of when Beast first appeared and the threatened the group. The dreadlocked man's cold and detached glare spread across, sizing up everyone in the group individually. There was a certain level of monstrousness and inhumaness in his eyes that caused the hairs on Kairi's arms to stand on end. It was a stark and absolute contrast with Beast and his expressive and emotional eyes.

 

 

All the same, Kairi willed Destiny's Embrace to come out, as everyone took a guarded stance.

 

 

“This is bad...” Paine said through gritted teeth. Her shield was already out at her side, one hand reached over her should, resting on the hilt of her sword.

 

 

“Xaldin!” Beast barked venomously, fur standing on end. Heckles raised. “I knew you would show you face again, eventually!”  
  


 

“Settle down, Beast. I've not come here for you.” Xaldin dismissed icily. The Nobody gave halt to his approach, once more surveying the group, cold eyes flickering from one person to the other. “I am here on direct orders from the Superior himself. I'll finish my business with you another day, yet.”

 

 

“It doesn't matter what you're here for, we'll stop you all the same.” Kairi fired back, trying to keep her voice even and controlled. The air in the room had suddenly gotten heavier and darker. There was a sinister gravity radiating from Xaldin, greater than any threat she had faced beforehand. But, Kairi knew that sooner or later she would have had to cross blades with the Organization's members. Better to rip that band-aid off as quick as possible.

 

 

“Ah, I've seen you've grown a backbone in this short little while.” Xaldin noted, coming the closest he had to showing true emotion yet. Amusement, maybe? “As it would happen, I've come here... for you.” With a dramatic gesture, the Nobody extending his arm, point dead ahead to Kairi.

 

 

“For Kairi?” Yuna cocked her shotstaff, calmly leveling it at the enemy. She was ready to fire at a moment's notice.

 

 

Xaldin scoffed, cocking his head. “I am as surprised by this turn of events as any other. But with the boy under our jurisdiction and control, we don't need any other Keyblade users mucking about and ruining our well-laid plans. We don't know how exactly you came to obtain the Keyblade, nor learned about the Blackheart Stones, but it makes no difference.” Slowly, Xaldin's voice was rising, from a cold drawl to a booming tone. “Your journey ends here and now.”

 

 

Xaldin threw his arms into the air.

 

 

“You will find no victory.”

 

 

The air in the room began to shift by Xaldin's command. Picking up, skorling and whirling about as it centered on Xaldin. The air currents visible to the naked eye.

 

 

“No salvation.”

 

 

Six black whirlwinds manifested around Xaldin, in a rough hexagonal pattern. Rumbling, storming winds blowing through the chamber, pushing Kairi, Beast, Belle, and the Gullwings away.

 

 

“No mercy!”

 

 

The twisters broke, revealing six purple spears with a vague dragon-shape to their design. They flew into the air, zipping about Xaldin, as the Nobody took hold of all six of them, three in each hand. The winds still whipped and turned around him, causing his dreadlocks to wildly snap around his head, lifting him from the ground.

 

 

“I, Xaldin, Number III of Organization XIII shall mete out your execution, here and now. I gave my word to the Superior, and shall not fail in my duties.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so Kairi comes across the first true challenge of her heroic journey. Settle in, folks, things are about to get pretty rough...
> 
>  
> 
> -So, not a whole whole lot this time around, another “bridge” chapter, linking the last chapter to our next arc, the next step of Kairi's own journey. But, there is one important thing, at least, regarding the connection to Birth By Sleep. Now, BBS is the only game in “canon” with this story, other than KH I, COM, and (the first half) of KH II, and, with the benefit of hindsight, I want to draw a more direct connection between this story and the events of BBS. Most notably, that our Bestiny Trinity are the inheritors of the BBS Trio. Hey, even the places the characters are mirror the end of BBS – Kairi/Aqua are desperately trying to save their friends and stem the tide of darkness; Riku/Terra are both swallowed by the darkness, tormented by an iteration of Xehanort, and assuming his form in one way or another; while Sora/Ven are sealed away from the rest of the world, awaiting rescue.
> 
>  
> 
> And we've already seen Kairi have a run-in with Aqua. How much longer until Sora and Riku cross paths with their counterparts? Stay tuned...
> 
>  
> 
> -One thing to note in this chapter is that I think it reveals two weakness of mine – one general for writing, one specific for KH stories. The general one is that I struggle at describing locations and physical space; I think I am generally solid at dialogue, descriptions of peoples and other beings, and action, but, yeah, I'm bad at just describing a room. I have strived to make improvements, but still struggle.
> 
>  
> 
> The other, more germane, thing is that, for whatever reason, the Disney portion of KH always eludes me. It feels like the lesser third compared to when I write the Final Fantasy or Original KH stuff, and I don't know why. I grew up with the stuff, and I enjoy a lot of Disney's current output, but, again, it's just something I have struggled with. Regardless, I am not going to let that weakness slow me down. This is a story about Kairi, her struggles, and her development, so the Disney stuff is just their to facilitate that. I guess, in a way, this story is the opposite of a true KH experience – the Disney stuff stays in the background, where our main character's arc is the focus, when it's normally the other way around.
> 
>  
> 
> -And a little note for clarification, as you may notice I type “Lumière” with an accent mark, but not “Namine”. My reasoning for that is, in Japanese, the “Ne” character in Namine would naturally be pronounced with an upward inflection, making the “Nay” sound, so the mark is pointless. It's just there to teach us godless Westerners how to say the name, just like how they used the mark in “Pokemon” to make sure our parents knew how to pronounce it.
> 
>  
> 
> Yep. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!
> 
>  
> 
> But now, we're on the brink of a very big moment. Just how will Kairi's first real clash against the Organization go? Any thoughts, predictions, fears, ideas, or anything of the sort, please, let me know and don't be afraid to review or comment. It means the world to me when you take a bit of time out of your day to extend a few words to me and my stories, so don't be shy. I'd love to hear from you all!
> 
>  
> 
> Until next time, enjoy, and let the light guide your path forward.


	8. The Juggernaut

**She Will Light The Way**

**Chapter Eight**

**The Juggernaut**

 

 

To Kairi, it had all happened so fast.

 

 

When Xaldin summoned his arms and threatened her life, she was ready for a fight. Ready to brawl. To deal out some punishment and earn a measure of vengeance against the Organization.

 

 

Battle seemed to initiate, as Yuna laid down a spray of magical bullet suppressing fire. But then Paine hollered at everyone to “Get the hell out of here” as she charged the Nobody. Beast leaped overhead the others and joined the fray, but before Kairi could question Paine's strategy or join in the fight, Rikku seized her by the arm and led her deeper into the castle, accompanied by both Belle and Yuna, Lumière and Cogsworth scattering to hide elsewhere.

 

 

Belle led the group to the top of a flight of stairs, then breaking to the left through passageway and into a large (and much more well lit hallway). The din of battle still raged on behind them.

 

 

“What's going on? What are you guys doing?” Kairi finally asked Yuna and Rikku. The two Gullwings were still heading deeper into the castle, trying to put as much space between them and the enemy as possible. “Why aren't we helping Paine and Beast?”  
  


 

“Are you kidding me?” Rikku snapped, nearly in hysterics. “You're so not ready to face an Organization member. _None of us_ are ready to face a full-blown Org member.” The blonde then began to chew on her nails, pacing back and forth and nervously muttering. “Oh, this is bad, this is bad bad bad bad bad....”

 

 

“Look at this way, Kairi,” Yuna began, trying to sound more reasonable than her panicking cousin, “Xaldin is after you. His whole mission is to put an end to you, to hunt you down. That means the best course of action is to get to the ship, get you out of here, and try and prepare ourselves for his attacks. Not sit around and be blindsided out of the blue.”

 

 

Kairi could understand Yuna's logic, but the situation just didn't sit well with her. “What about Paine? What about Beast?” She looked over at Belle who remained rather composed, but there was still slight fear and worry abundant in her eyes. “We can't just leave them behind and at his mercy.”

 

 

“Paine can take care of herself. She's incredibly tough. Beast, too. What matters the most here is you. We have to get you somewhere safe away from the Organization.”

 

 

Kairi's anger flared up. “Absolutely not.” As terrifying as being pushed into the deep end of this world was, Kairi also found it very liberating. She was no longer just some MacGuffin to be sought after. Not just a plot device to be hung over the heads of her friends, dooming and limiting them. Not a neutral character in some poorly plotted nonsense story that could only wait for her friends to come back home. No. Now she could fight. She would fight. She could actively help guide Sora and Riku back to where they belong. “I refuse to just sit around while others fight for me. I refuse to run away and hide.”

 

 

“Kairi -”

 

 

“We're going to have to fight the Organization eventually, Yuna!” Kairi shouted back, silencing the brunette. “I don't care how menacing they are, this is the entire point of this journey. I've gotten so much stronger in such a short amount of time. I can do this. I believe I can win!”

 

 

Kairi turned on her heel and ran back to the entrance hall, intending to fight and strike down Xaldin. Yuna, Rikku, and Belle called out for her, but she ignored them. There was more to this than proving her strength, proving she wasn't some useless damsel. This enemy was a personal one, and this fight was about revenge.

 

 

_These are the monsters that stole Sora away. The ones that used me to twist his heart into knots and force him to sacrifice himself for my sake. I will never forgive them for what they've done. I will see every one of them suffer for the evil they've inflicted._

 

 

The Keyblade Wielder was stopped dead in her tracks when the walls above the door leading back to the entrance hall suddenly burst open in a massive explosion. Through the dust and debris, Paine and Beast came flying out, landing in heaps on the carpeted floor. Both of them were battered and beaten and bloodied, stirring slightly and breathing – they were still alive – but in dreadful condition.

 

 

Xaldin levitated through the wound rent in the wall, guided by his air current, looking down upon his bested foes. The entire left sleeve of his cloak had been torn away, as well as a hole formed in the fabric at his stomach, various wounds dotting his body that oozed a thick, black ichor that must have passed for blood for Nobodies. Paine and Beast clearly went down swinging, but, despite the injuries, Xaldin looked no worse for wear.

 

 

“Next.”

 

 

Letting loose a battle cry, Kairi charged at the Nobody as he settled back to the ground, levitating an inch or two above. He quickly dismissed four of his lances, wielding one in either hand. Kairi launched a string of slashes and cuts, targeting his left side, seeing as how that had taken the most damage already. But the dreadlocked man took the assault in stride, easily parrying every blow with the hafts of his spears.

 

 

“Is this the best you can manage?” Xaldin taunted with a sneer, before flipping the script on his far more inexperienced opponent. Proving that six weapons were superior to one, Xaldin had his four remaining lances hover around his being and thrust at Kairi, guided by the wind currents he effortlessly controlled. In an instance, Kairi was forced on the backfoot, quite literally, as she kept stepping backwards to prevent being flattened by the advancing wall of lances, wind, and hatred.

 

 

The Organization member launched both his handheld spears at Kairi at once, the girl countering with an attempt at a Reflect spell. In the heat of battle, she produced far better results than in training, manifesting the domed shield... only for her hopes to be rent asunder, just like her barrier as the heads of Xaldin's spears tore through it. In the attack, one of the lances extended far out, and Kairi failed to dodge in time, as the spearhead sliced through her upper arm, drawing blood and leaving a searing wound in it's wake.

 

 

With a wide sweep of his arms, two of the wind-controlled spear whipped around and slammed into Kairi, the hafts catching her in the throat and thighs, pushing her aside. The twin lances pinned her against a nearby wall, the cold metal painfully digging into her flesh.

 

 

Xaldin approached as Kairi struggled to free herself, a spear held in his right hand, reared back like a javelin thrower, primed and ready to skewer.

 

 

“I suppose this is all that can be expected. Disappointing, all the same...”

 

 

Fortunately though, before Xaldin could strike, a thin wire launched out from nowhere, twisting itself around the haft of the spear, and then pulling it off course, Xaldin having to plant his feet and tighten it's grip to prevent it from being torn away. Rikku had ensnared the weapon with one of her grapple wires, her and Belle tugging with all of their might to disable the Nobody for even just a minute.

 

 

“Guess we're doing this now...” Rikku grunted.

 

 

Yuna, meanwhile, fired a green coloured shot at the down Paine and Beast, Cure magic surging through the two, stabilizing their wounds, but not restoring them to consciousness. Yuna had been certain to drill the limitations of Cure magic into Kairi (it only accelerated the body's natural healing process, so it was great for minor wounds and replenishing stamina, but even the strongest healing magic could only do so much), so the redhead knew the two still wouldn't be on their feet any time soon. Yuna followed this up by unleashing a torrent of magic bullets against Xaldin. The attacks didn't seem to be doing much, but Xaldin still shrunk under the magical hailfire, summoning lances to protect him, as he still struggled to pull his spear free.

 

 

Even with Xaldin attacked from all fronts, he still had enough control to keep Kairi pinned up against the wall, Kairi struggling to breath and move against the pressure the lances applied. Good thing for her, she was pinned in such a way that she faced Xaldin's left and had her arms free. Aiming Destiny's Embrace at a jagged claw mark carved into the Nobody's rib cage, Kairi fired out a series of compressed spheres of scalding water. For the first time since the start of the engagement, Xaldin flinched and grunted under Kairi's spells, as the blistering bubbles burnt his already ragged and injured flesh.

 

 

With all three of his foes hitting him from one angle or another, Xaldin finally gave up the ghost, throwing down his entangled spear and leaping backwards. The spears holding Kairi up finally relented as well, letting the girl drop down as she desperately sucked in much needed oxygen.

 

 

“Belle... get out of here. Hide somewhere safe...” Kairi said in between breaths. “We'll take care of this.” If she wasn't focused on the massive danger this enemy presented, Kairi would've been more cognizant that she was a massive hypocrite right now, telling Belle the things she railed against a moment prior.

 

 

The Princess of Heart hesitated, no doubt she was deeply concerned for Kairi's chances, but also the unknown fate of The Beast just down the hallway. Still, she nodded stiffly. “Please... just be careful, all of you...” Belle said fearfully, before sprinting further down the hall, away from the conflict.

 

 

Xaldin had retrieved all of his lance, but was still being held back by Yuna's constant gunfire for the time being. Rikku had joined her cousin, hurling more of her bombs in Xaldin's vicinity, as well as taking out a small aerial drone that showered the Nobody with more ballistic attacks. Their fearsome foe seemed to make little move to defend himself or evade the flurry of attacks, instead covering his frame with his arms and weapons and trying to weather the storm, so to speak, teeth tightly clenched together in pain and frustration. Even with such a big target and prime opportunity to strike, Rikku and Yuna seemed to be only inflicting superficial damage to Xaldin, barely even bruising or marking the flesh, let alone drawing black blood.

 

 

_I figured the Organization Nobodies would be tough, but this seems a little ridiculous..._ Kairi took her spot on the firing line, cuing up a continuous stream of Fire and Thunder spells to further pile on the damage. _But if we can keep him pinned down like this, it doesn't matter how tough or strong or scary he is. We'll win. We'll do this._ Kairi admitted to herself that she was a little skittish to engage in melee again, after Xaldin thoroughly schooled in their quick exchange. But, that was just part of combat. Paine and Yuna had taught her well. If your first strategy didn't work, change gears, find a new angle, be cautious but relentless. _Be relentless. Just keep pushing girls! We take him down, and we're one step closer to ending all of this!_

 

 

Kairi gritted her teeth and let out a low rumble from the back of her throat, increasing the intensity of her spellfire. Yuna likewise furrowed her brow and dug further down, her own blitz ratcheting up in power and speed. Xaldin took a few steps back under the increases scrutiny of the hellish hail of magic, gunfire, and explosions, his cloak becoming more and more shredded. He grunted once more, raged and roared, as marks and scars began to score themselves across his arms. One of Kairi's fireballs connected against Xaldin's forehead, sizzling the flesh and drawing more black blood.

 

 

Xaldin's anger and resistance reached a boiling point, as he broke his own guard, extending his spears out in a deadly fan, unleashing a bellowing roar. The wind seemed to react to his actions and false emotions, stirring up once more in the hallway, as Xaldin – once more clutching three spears in each hands, and still under Kairi and the Gullwing's attacks – rotated and spun the lances about, causing the winds to storm and swirl once more, forming a green-coloured disk of wind that situated itself between Xaldin and the girls, bringing the magical assault to a sudden halt. The magical wind barrier dispersed and scattered all the attacks and the winds had snatched Rikku's drone out of the air, smashing it against a wall, finally giving Xaldin a moment's reprieve.

 

 

“I thought this mission would just be dull, but it's quickly becoming a tiresome chore.” Xaldin snarled, baring his teeth against the girls, as they continued to try and bust through the wind wall. Making another wide, sweeping motion with his lances, Xaldin generated even more wind, letting loose a harrowing gale down the length of the hallway.

 

 

The powerful gust blew down, pushing against and past the three warriors. In an instance, all three of them were picked up by the invisible force and brutally hurled further down the hall. Kairi tried to wedge Destiny's Embrace into the floor, but was a second too late, unable to gain any effective purchase, as she was thrown into a heap with with Yuna and Rikku.

 

 

The three scrambled to get back to their feet, Xaldin slowly stalked his way towards his enemies, wielding two of his lance, while the other four rotated around him, whirling and spinning like saw blades.

 

 

“I'm putting an end to this, girl!”

 

 

The four floating spears began to pick up in speed, the wind once more picking up in the corridor, as Xaldin began to twist and spin his own body, as well, twirling his handheld lances, too. A cyclonic zephyr formed around the Nobody, protecting his being when Kairi went to fire more magic at him, once more negating any attempt to further damage him. The speed of everything, Xaldin, the wind, the spears, picked up to a rapid pace, as Xaldin finally attacked, freeing a stream of green, scything blades of wind throughout the area, firing in all directions randomly.

 

 

The air blades careened through the hall, tearing apart carpeting, stone, statues, decorative armour suits – everything and anything they struck, demolishing the objects and leaving grand ruinous wounds carved into the walls, floor, and ceilings. The blades whirled their way down towards the girls, whose mindsets quickly changed from offense to defense.

 

 

Yuna stood her ground and summoned a barrier, but only had enough time to conjure on that covered herself, not large enough to fit the three of them. The moment after she cast the spell, the blades began to ram into its surface, Yuna's face contorted in concentration, putting all her effort into just maintaining the small barrier, leaving her friends to fend for themselves.

 

 

Rikku tried her best to dodge and weave through the flurry of blades, but got caught up in the storm and paid the price. Fortunately, she had the enchantments reinforcing her clothing, and they soaked up much of the punishment; she would have been sliced to pieces otherwise. Still, Rikku was rendered helpless, juggled through the air, a myriad of scrapes and cuts and bruises forming over her tanned skin.

 

 

Kairi did like Yuna, casting her Reflect wall, but it crumbled under the pressure of the air blades just like before. Still, dauntless and defiant, the redheaded Key Bearer stood her ground, and took to try and parry and block the scythes with her Keyblade. She did her best, and provided strong results at first, but the sickles just came in such high amount and high velocity, that she could not weather the storm for long. Like Rikku, she was thankful for the protective enchantments bestowed on her gear, but the damage inflicted was still critical. One blade knocked her in to the air, another one immediately struck her in the chest (without her gear, she easily would have been torn open from that attack), and yet another one grazed her left arm. That one broke past her magical barriers, as a ribboned cut wound it's way around her left forearm, flesh parting way, crimson blood exploding into the air. Kairi gnashed her teeth together, fighting back a pained scream.

 

 

With both Rikku and Kairi blown back, Yuna the last one standing behind the shelter of her barrier, Xaldin took the moment to charge again, engaging Yuna in one-on-one combat. A stream of air and wind formed around the Nobody, who flew through the air, wielding his two lances, the four others trailing behind him, a bloodthirsty and animalistic look on his face as he charged the brunette gunslinger.

 

 

“Kairi! Rikku!” Yuna barely managed to call out, before Xaldin impacted with her wall. It shattered in an instant, the force of his momentum, the wind, and his physical body bowling Yuna over. Somehow, Yuna avoided all the blades, rolling backwards after being run over by the Nobody. She was further grateful when she saw Xaldin turn back, guided by his personal jet stream, instead of going after her two companions. “Get away! Run! I'll hold him off!” Four colourful spell seals began to form around the tines of her shotstaff.

 

 

“Yuna, I told you I'm not-”

 

 

“Kairi, you can't win this right now!”

 

 

Using her staff, Yuna tried her hardest to fend off Xaldin. Wide sweeping arcs and powerful thrusts, all enhanced by his wind magic. The further the fight went on, the more frightening Xaldin became. Moreso than his first appearance, somehow. He was strong. Barbaric. Ferocious. A monster in a man's skin.

 

 

“We can't win! Right here, right now!” Yuna insisted. She cried in pain when one of the spearhead slipped past her guard and sliced into her cheek. Still, she did not lose the spell the shotstaff was charging. Kairi wanted nothing more than to offer assistance, but was physically stopped when Rikku snatched onto her wrist, trying to pull her away from the battle. “You have to run and try something else. Leave the world, come back for us later... retreat and draw-up a new plan – JUST RUN!!”

 

 

“There will be no running!” Xaldin roared. One spear knocked aside the shotstaff – Yuna barely maintaining a grip on it – while two more were wheeled about, the spearhead zeroing in on Yuna and piercing her at each shoulder. Once more, Kairi tried to break free and move to help her friend, a psychic knife twisting in her gut as Yuna screamed in agony, but Rikku refused to let her go.

 

 

Xaldin took hold of both spears and used the leverage provided to fling Yuna against the wall, pinning her their like he had done to Kairi. “She will find no safe haven or sanctuary. I promise, this will be the end of her journey!” Finally done with Yuna, Xaldin grabbed his four remaining spears and began to move towards Rikku and Kairi.

 

 

Seeing the Nobody dismantle Paine and Beast and Yuna – all such strong people – in short order, Kairi's confidence and bravado shrank and withered. Her legs locked in place. Looking into the cold and ruthless eyes of Xaldin, Kairi was certain she was staring death itself in the face.

 

 

“Kairi.. run.... you have to run...”

 

 

Yuna's weak voice broke through to Kairi, also catching the attention of Xaldin. The magical gunslinger held her fully charged firearm up, aiming right at the center of mass of her assailant, and pulled the trigger. Xaldin barely turned his end in time to see Yuna fire the four-coloured stream of blistering elemental energy. The Nobody twisted his body around, trying to dodge, but the beam arced and curved towards him still. Next, he tried to block and divert the magic with her spears, but the sheer force of the attack knocked the weapons out of his hands. With no options left, Xaldin merely braced for impact, trying to reduce the damage as much as possible.

 

 

The searing energy stream struck Xaldin in the left side of his torso, earning a bestial shout of pain from the Nobody.

 

 

Kairi didn't see the rest of what happened, as her and Rikku moved as fast as they physically could into the next room, sealing the door behind them.

 

 

They stopped when they crossed the threshold, trying to catch their breath. It was less the physical exertion and more the sheer terror that possessed their bodies. Not long after, another one of Yuna's cries of pain pierced the air, originating from the previous room.

 

 

“Yuna... Paine...” Kairi breathed softly. Her entire body was taut and tight. It was like being abandoned in the Realm of Darkness all over again. Rikku was similarly wound up, all of her muscles clenched up. She had flinched when she heard her cousin's scream.

 

 

“No... no... this isn't happening.” The blonde ground her teeth together, tears welling in her eyes. Rikku turned to face the doorway. Xaldin would be coming any minute now. “I'm not letting you get away with hurting Yunie and Paine!” With furious, terrified energy, Rikku dug through her poaches, producing a grey and orange disc.

 

 

Hitting a trigger on the disc, it quickly took to the air, a shooting out small beams of light that struck the various surfaces around the door. Small circles of orange light appeared on the surfaces. Then, in an oddly calm voice, Rikku said, “Red... go back to the ship.”

 

 

“Rikku... no!” She was tired of hearing that. Of all the Gullwings putting themselves in the line of fire, for her sake. What was the point of all this if others were just going to sacrifice themselves? “I can't leave you guys. No matter what. I'm going to stay and fight.”

 

 

Kairi was trembling like a leaf in the wind.

 

 

Rikku repeated herself. “Kairi. Go back to the ship. Get back to Hollow Bastion. Start over again.” The disc had run it's course, crashing to the ground. Dozens of the orange lights now lay in wait around the door to the previous hall.

 

 

“That's not happening. I'm not-”

 

 

“Kairi!” The blonde snapped, turning away from the door to face the redhead. “I know you're worried about us, but you're the only important one here! You're the Keyblade Master, now, right!? We don't matter in all this...” Rikku let out a bitter, forlorn laugh. “After all, we're just a bunch of thieves. No one's gonna miss us in the end...”

 

 

A lump welled up in Kairi's throat. This wasn't how it was suppose to happen. She was doing so well beforehand, did she really have no other options but to regress and run away? How could she live with herself if she just left Beast and the Gullwings to die?

 

 

Finally, over the the thunderous drumming of her own heartbeat, Kairi replied with, “You're not 'just a bunch of thieves'... you guys are my friends...”

 

 

Rikku looked taken aback by this admission, but had no time to respond.

 

 

The door burst open, revealing once more the striking and imposing visage of Xaldin.

 

 

Yuna's desperation attack had done something, at the least. There was a dire wound blasted in the left side of his ribs, rending away even more of his cloaks and chunks of flesh. But there were no bones or organs in sight of the cavernous injury. Just a blank, empty abyss, of black ichor and smoke.

 

 

Just how truly inhuman were these things?

 

 

But before the girls could react. Before Xaldin could move or attack or speak, all of the little orange discuses Rikku had created began to move, sliding across the floor and ceiling and walls, homing in on the Nobody. The instant one made contact with Xaldin, it detonated, unleashing it's payload of heat and magical fire and concussive force. One on it's own was only small enough to stun the threatening Nobody. But there were nearly fifty of these mines, and they just kept coming, zooming towards their target and consuming him in flame and explosions, and he was totally helpless to do anything besides suffer the damage inflicted upon him, enveloping him in a cloak of smoke.

 

 

Rikku smirked in pride that her planned worked, and drew her daggers. “Please, just get outta here Red. The three of us have survived worse. No need to worry about us.” Rikku took one step forward....

 

 

A spear flew out of the smoke cloud. The Al-Bhed girl stopped dead in her tracks when it skewered her in the stomach.

 

 

Rikku wobbled on woozy legs, blood trickling from out of her mouth. Her last plea to Kairi died on her lips, as she collapsed in a lifeless heap.

 

 

A gust of wind scattered the smoke cloud away, as Xaldin continued to move forward. The entirety of his cloak had been burned to shreds, leaving him in only his pants and boots, and the entirety of his upper body was riddles in small burns, scuffs, and minor lacerations. But despite all the damage inflicted on him, Xaldin kept moving forward. Mechanically. Precisely. Like a predator. Like an unstoppable monster.

 

 

And he had never lost the look of steely determination or unfathomable cruelty in his eyes.

 

 

Seeing Rikku fall as well caused Kairi to snap. Forgetting her fear,her pain, her exhaustion, and the many pleas for her to retreat, Kairi took up her Keyblade in both hands and charged, fury and rage and the desire for revenge moving her.

 

 

Xaldin only shot her a dismissive glare, making another motion with his hands. A burst of wind caught Kairi and threw her into the air, her body slamming against the ceiling. Hard enough to leave an indentation in the stone.

 

 

The winds whipped around her continuously, throwing her around the room, smashing her into the walls and ceiling with brutal, bone-crunching, skin-bruising force. At this moment, as Xaldin hurled her about like she was nothing, Kairi began to realize just how hopelessly outmatched she was. How much of a mistake this was.

 

 

“Is this really all you're capable of? Running and hiding and cowering, while others throw themselves into the line of fire?” Xaldin slammed Kairi down against the stone floor, her head bouncing off the surface. The girl coughed up a few sputters of blood, spots and stars clouding her vision. “Was Sora foolishly throwing himself away not enough? How many more bodies will be piled up before you feet by the time this is done?”

 

 

The mention of Sora and his sacrifice was enough for Kairi to stir. Enough motivation to try and crawl back and fight again.

 

  
Xaldin brought down one his spears, spiking it into Kairi's left thigh. Pain exploded throughout her entire body, her motivation squashed, as the Key Bearer screamed in torturous anguish.

 

 

“I suppose I came all this way and dealt with all those annoyances, it would be a shame if I didn't get to play with my food a little, first...” Xaldin grinned sadistically, as he retrieved his lance.

 

 

At this moment in time, Belle entered Kairi's field of vision. She thought it was a delusion brought on by the pain and contusions, but the woman didn't vanish even after she blinked rapidly, shaking her head slightly, too. Belle was carrying a stone bust in her hands, quietly sneaking up from behind Xaldin. Wracked with pain, Kairi could not move, but she did everything her power not to alert Xaldin the approaching Princess, while also praying like mad the woman would just quit while she was ahead and run away.

 

 

But it would seem that daring do and the desire to help others were common traits among the Seven Princesses, as Belle stood behind the Nobody, bust raised over her head, and brought it down upon his head. The stone exploded into hundreds of pieces.

 

 

Xaldin did not so much as flinch. In fact, the only reaction he showed was minor annoyance.

 

 

Not even deigning to look back or verbally reply, Xaldin blindly backhanded at Belle, catching her on the side of the head. Belle went flying, her head crashing against the wall, immediately falling unconscious upon impact.

 

 

“Belle! No!”

 

 

“You have more pressing matters to deal with!”

 

 

An updraft formed around Kairi, once more tossing her helplessly into the air. This gust had much more force behind it, as when Kairi hit the ceiling (in the same spot she had previously dented), the wind forced her straight through the solid stone. The updraft continued pushing her higher and higher, through layer after layer of stone and wood, before she was thrown into the open air of the night's sky.

 

 

Kairi's body slammed down on the castle's rooftop, her entire waking world nothing but pain. How was she still even conscious after all that? She tried to get a seriously needed breath of air through her nose, only to find it all clogged up with blood.

 

 

As she tried to find her bearings, find the strength to stand up, just to move, something caught her eye. A towering obelisk of pitch black stone – The Blackheart Stone.

 

 

_That's right... it was suppose to be on the rooftop..._ She thought weakly. Somehow, she had the wherewithal to dismiss her Keyblade, as to not usher the Guardian Heartless into existence. She had enough problems on her hand...

 

 

In desperate futility, Kairi began to crawl towards the Stone, literally dragging herself by hand, one after the other. She wasn't even sure she could stand right now, but something was drawing her towards the Stone.

 

 

A chilling, ghostly breeze passed over her back, as Xaldin rose up through the whole in the roof, carried by his wind currents, hovering in the air. “I'm actually surprised you survived all that. Well done, you've earned a modicum of my respect.” The Nobody had gathered up all his spears, again. One of the heads was still dripping with blood....

 

 

Kairi looked back at Xaldin, and then ahead to the Blackheart Stone. She was laying perfectly in between the two, able to draw a straight line between her enemy and the object. Kairi began to formulate a plan...

 

 

“I'll wear it as a badge of honour, thank you...” Kairi managed to sarcastically fire back at Xaldin. She turned to face him, still unable to stand, but she was able to get up to her knees. The pain slowly ebbed away, as the adrenaline kicked in. “I've been learning I have a habit of impressing people when they least expect it, so, come on...” Kairi held her hands up in fists, still not risking to summon Destiny's Embrace. “Come on... Come on! Let me surprise you once again, Xaldin!”

 

 

Xaldin cocked his head, seemingly amused. “Oh? Where is this fire coming from? Where was this a little while ago when all your friends were perishing before your eyes?” He taunted, as the winds picked up around him.

 

 

Kairi reached deep down, welling up a power deep inside of her.

 

 

“Shut up and come at me! Do it!”

 

 

She grabbed a hold of the power. _That_ power.

 

 

Xaldin did as he was bid, flying forward on his jet stream, all six spears held by the current and aimed at Kairi, rapidly closing the gap between him and his prey.

 

 

With ragged breath and rapid heartbeat, at the very last possible moment, Kairi tested as to whether her legs would hold up her not. She lunged forward off of her feet, springing not away from Xaldin, but at him, diving down onto her belly and making herself as small as possible. With his momentum carrying him, it was impossible for the Nobody to stop in time. He was carried over the Keyblade wielding girl, heading on a direct course to the Blackheart Stone...

 

 

With wind bursting out ahead of him, Xaldin came to a skidding stop in the air, mere inches away from the surfaces of the obelisk.

 

 

“Really now, did you honestly think I would fall for such a pedestrian trick?”

 

 

“No. I didn't.”

 

 

Kairi stood up, even as blood gushed from the wound on her thigh, an aura of pure white light flaring up around her. She finally recalled Destiny's Embrace, swinging it wildly through the air, leaving behind trails of beacons, tiny motes of light which hung in the air.

 

 

The Blackheart Stone activated, shooting energy out into the sky, a black cloud beginning to form overhead.

 

 

**[ _RADIANT FINISH: Shining Barrage!!!_ ]**

 

 

The motes shifted form, transforming into a series of long, golden arrrows. With a sweep of her Keyblade, Kairi launched the storm of light arrows, urging them to fly and hit their mark before the Guardian fully materialized. Xaldin launched into defensive posture again, covering his body with his arms and lances, while conjuring his wind barrier. But unlike before, the arrows were not to be denied, easily piercing through the squalling shield. Xaldin did his best to ward off the attack with his lances, but there were just far too many to counter. One slipped past his guard, sending searing pain through his being. And then another. Then another. And another and another and before, long, his entire defense had vanished before the onslaught of light arrows. As the hail of arrows battered and besieged him, Xaldin was knocked back – little by little – towards the stone.

 

 

_Come on. Come on! Just a little more!_ Kairi kept one eye on the Nobody, the other one the Stone. A figure was starting to become visible within the dark cloud. There were more arrows still to come, and she call upon every last ounce of power still within her to shoot them with more force. More power. More effort.

 

 

_Everyone keeps doing everything in their power for my sake! Risking everything for me. I can't keep being a burden, I have to be able to stand and fight!_

 

 

Kairi held her breath in vain hope that this one last gambit would work. That she could pull victory from the jaws of defeat.

 

 

That she wasn't just something to be stowed away and kept safe. Something worthless, precious, wanted, useless thing...

 

 

A bright spark of light flashed within her eyes, as another flurry of arrows embedded themselves with Xaldin, pushing him back even further.

 

 

That last push was just enough.

 

 

One of the shoulder blades of the dreadlocked man brushed up against the surface. The barest amount of skin making the barest amount of contact.

 

 

The reaction was instantaneous.

 

 

Dark lightning coursed around the Stone, traveling into and through Xaldin's body. The Nobody howled in agony, a horrific, bestial roar, as the shadowy energy flowed through his being. His whole body spasmed and buckled against the force, but it didn't seem to do him any good. In fact, it looked like he was being drawn in closer to the embrace of the spire. The wound on the left side of his body began to smoke and sear, more and more of his flesh breaking away, slowly but surely.

 

 

But too slowly. The Guardian Heartless was still coming.

 

 

This might finish Xaldin off, but the Guardian would be fully realized by that point.

 

 

Kairi gasped for breath. She felt nauseous. Her head was spinning. The whole world was spinning. The pain. The exhaustion. The emotional torture.... She didn't know if she could stand for much longer, but she needed to. Time was short. She had to finish this.

 

 

Once more, she drew deep down. Not only into herself. But to Belle nearby. She may have been a casualty in all this, but she had felt their Lights resonate earlier in the day. Kairi's well of power may be exhausted, but perhaps with just a little bit of effort, she could borrow a bit of Belle's strength.

 

 

_Please, Belle... I'm sorry for bringing this monster to your doorstep... I'm sorry for what has happened to you and Beast, just... please, give me the strength that I don't have...._

 

 

Reaching down, Kairi felt something. Love. Hope.

 

 

A burgeoning love for The Beast.

 

 

Hope that he would be able to overcome the curse which afflicted him.

 

 

A blazing white light sparked into life around Kairi, as she held Destiny's Embrace aloft.

 

 

**[ _RADIANT FINISH: Holy Calibur!!!_ ]**

 

 

The glowing white sword blade formed around Destiny's Embrace again. Whether this power was still hers, or was Belle's, she didn't now and it didn't matter. It gave her just enough strength to charge forward, both hands on the hilt of her weapon, lashing out with a wide diagonal slash.

 

 

The shining light blade easily cut through both Xaldin and the Stone behind him, bringing to an end the diffusion of energy, the summoning of the Guardian, and Xaldin's torturous roar. Instead, the pained reaction was replaced by one of stunned surprise. From his left shoulder to his right hip, he had been cut straight through, his body slowly splitting in two. A similar slice was reflected on the Blackheart Stone behind him.

 

 

“This... this...” Xaldin gasped in shock, his words failing him. The two halves of his body plummeted from the rooftop, crashing onto the bridge below. His spears had begun vanishing, but Xaldin still tried with everything in his power to hold on to his waning unlife. The Nobody held one hand up in the direction of Kairi, clawing at the girl.

 

 

Then the top of the Stone fell from the roof, landing on top of Xaldin. The peak of the spire piercing him through the chest, the weight of it all crushing his sternum.

 

 

The Nobody let out an excruciating death rattle.

 

 

“Superior, forgive me... I have failed you....”

 

 

Finally, the vicious Nobody came to an end, his entire body disintegrating into wisps of darkness.

 

 

Kairi took no solace in her victory, instead dropping her Keyblade and falling to a heap on the ground. Pain and exhaustion battled for dominance in her body, but it was fear and terror that won out over all else.

 

 

Kairi was deeply terrified.

 

 

She was afraid as to what would happen to the Gullwings. To Bell and the Beast.

 

 

She was afraid of what would happen the next time she face off against the Organization.

 

 

If there even would be a next time. She was also afraid that this was it for her. The pain in her body was so intense, she thought a stiff breeze might cause her to crumble into dust.

 

 

Most of all, she was afraid she had let everyone down. That everyone placed all their hopes upon her, and she couldn't even hope to match those expectations. Everyone thought her so important and special... and her she was, curled up on the ground in a ball, beaten half to death, winning only by sheer luck.

 

 

Save everyone.

 

 

Protect those you love.

 

 

Fight the monsters.

 

 

_Yeah right.... What a joke. I can never be that..._

 

 

Kairi let out a pained sob, as she slipped into the unknown of unconsciousness.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was a fun little romp through Beast's Castle, now wasn't it?
> 
>  
> 
> -As much as the contents of the chapter are horrifying and a bit of a hard sit, I am very proud of this one. Starting with Kairi's confidence coming out in full force, and then it slowly gets whittled away as she realizes what she is up against, and as more people fall in the line of fire for her. I've made it clear that I don't want Kairi to just be Sora, I want her to be Kairi, and while Sora just smiled and pressed on through everything and always one, Kairi lacks that luxury. And, in the end, this is just part of her journey – her “failing” (in her mind), getting viciously thrashed in combat, and suffering through a crisis of confidence (spoilers for the next arc...). Her journey is a much more perilous one than either of Sora's, so she is going to end up struggling more.
> 
>  
> 
> -One thing I want to do in this fic was highlight the truly inhuman nature of the Organization Nobodies. That their appearance is just that, an appearance, and that they are really eldritch and monstrous and alien – they bleed black, they lack organs and other basic biological elements, and their lack of emotions make them wrote sociopaths. Xaldin is just the tip of the iceberg, I want to present the idea that there are no “good” Nobodies, save Roxas and Namine, and even the more affable ones like Axel, Demyx, and Luxord are as rotten and wicked as any others.
> 
>  
> 
> -I also think that this is a bit of a turning point for the story. While I've been happy with what I've done so far, I think this is where things begin to ratchet up, as we diverge more and more from how a typical KH canon story is told. And, hopefully, this will lead to a bit more of a upturn in reader engagement. I know I go on about how I just want people to enjoy this and be happy, but I am a diseased human being who can't just do something because I'm doing it, I need validation from outside sources, too.
> 
> **Power Levels**  
>  Kairi is roughly equal to Sora by the time he reaches Disney Castle/Timeless River. She is growing exponentially stronger than Sora due to facing stronger enemies, and training almost everyday.
> 
>  
> 
> The Gullwings have not changed, they are the same as they were the last time we checked in on them
> 
>  
> 
> Xaldin is Xaldin. He's as strong as he was in the games, and a monster made of flesh and hatred. All the Organization Nobodies are at a similar tier in terms of strength, as well. Kairi has a long road ahead of her...
> 
>  
> 
> That will be enough for me for the time being. Please, do be kind and feel free to share you reviews, comments, critiques, thoughts, and predictions, as we continue forward into our journey, on Kairi's journey, into uncharted waters.
> 
>  
> 
> Until next time, everyone, let the light guide your path forward!


	9. Can't We Get Beyond Underdrome?

**She Will Light The Way  
** **Chapter Nine  
Can't We Get Beyond Underdrome?**

 

 

_Swept away from the sunny sanctuary of Twilight Town, two redheads traveled through the darkness, the endless winding roads of the Realm of Darkness._

 

 

_Axel, the fiery renegade Nobody, dragged his captive behind him, having chased her across the Realm of Light, before finally seizing onto his prey._

 

 

_Kairi, struggled in vain against her captor. She tried to wriggle out of his grip, but his hand was seized around her wrist, ironclad tight. She tried to act as dead weight, but Axel was far too strong for that, easily able to literally drag the slight teenage girl behind him. And while she had taken a self-defense course, Axel towered over her in height, and had the reach to match, and always kept Kairi far enough away to prevent her from doing anything more than feebly pounding on his arm._

 

 

_With that as her only option, Kairi did just that, smashing her free fist against any point of purchase she could find. Her strikes lacked power, and they weren't hitting anything vulnerable, but they were frequent. And annoying._

 

 

_And, after enough shots, Axel clearly had enough._

 

 

“ _Will you stop!?” Axel roared, stopping his forward progress. “Why can't you just follow along like a good little Princess, huh?”_

 

 

“ _I'm not following you anywhere, you creep!” Kairi spat out, still flailing and hitting her tormentor. Him stopping was a good start, but he needed to bait him further... “You're just some gross asshole who's probably trying to hurt Sora! I don't care what you do to me, I'm not coming along without a fight!” Normally she would not be so defiant towards a being much more powerful than her, but she needed to be insulting. Vitriolic. She needed Axel to loose his temper._

 

 

“ _I am not trying to hurt Sora!” The Nobody fired back. “He just has something I want. Something I need. And I think you're the key to getting what I want.” His tone was condescending and reductive. “So, why don't you be a good little damsel, stay quiet and smile politely, and you'll get to see your boyfriend soon enough. You win. I win.” Axel pulled Kairi in close, from arm's length to almost chest-to-chest._

 

_  
And that was what Kairi was counting on._

 

 

“ _Got it memo-”_

 

 

_Kairi twisted herself so her back was to her kidnapper and then, with all her might, elbowed him right in the solar plexus. Axel's choked on his own catch phrase, rearing back in pain, his grip loosening, but still not enough for Kairi to tear away. Still, she persisted. She stamped down on Axel's right foot, aiming for the instep, hoping she could muster enough strength to apply pressure through his boot. Axel hunched over from the pain, cursing under his breath, finally releasing his grip on Kairi's wrist. With both her hands free, Kairi formed a ball and swung wildly, slamming into Axel's nose with a hammering blow, before sprinting away, running back down the path she had been dragged along._

 

 

_But she only managed to run a couple dozen feet away, before she heard him say, “So we're doing this the hard way, huh?”_

 

 

_Raging walls of flame sprung up from the ground, at either end of the stone road, cutting off all passage. Kairi barely came to a stop in time, feeling the heat of the wall, almost being scorched by the sheer convection of it. In an instant, she was trapped._

 

 

“ _You know, I was just gonna nab you and run, as a service. A courtesy.” Axel stalked towards her, looking furious. Beyond furious, he looked enrage, barely holding it together. “But, hey, if you want to be difficult, I have no problem roughing you up a little before hand.” Flames appeared, lighting up Axel's hands and wrists._

 

 

“ _Funny. I was going to tell you much the same.”_

 

 

_A shadowed figure appeared in the flames behind Axel – the wall furthest from Kairi. Emerging from beyond the fiery barrier came another imposing, monstrous man dressed in the same black cloak as Axel, this one with pale blue hair, a hideous “X” shaped scar across his face, and an impossibly cold and distant demeanor._

 

 

_The stranger unflinchingly passed through the wall as if it were air, the flames not singing a single hair on his head or fiber of his cloak._

 

 

“ _Saix!” Axel called out, pivoting to face him._

 

 

“ _Traitor.” Saix returned, the only emotion he displayed was a brief show of his canines._

 

 

_With a wave of Axel's hands, the flames abated. “Kairi, get out of here.” He ordered. “I know I seem like the bad guy but, trust me, this is the real big bad right here.”_

 

 

_Kairi nodded dumbly, and did what she was bid. Whatever the situation, she did not want to be anywhere near the area when these two started throwing down. Besides the fact that both of them, and her current environs, all gave her the creeps._

 

 

_Axel let a jet of flame fly at his enemy._

 

 

_Saix moved with an insane burst of speed, colliding into the fire as if it wasn't there. A black-and-blue blur of death rushed towards Axel. Something happened and Axel screamed; a bloodcurdling howl of horror and pain that echoed through the vacuous, dark space. This caused Kairi to stop and turn around, sheer curiosity catching up to her, and she deeply regretted that fact._

 

 

_One of Saix's gloved hands was sticking out the other side of Axel. Cleanly piercing through the fire elemental's body. Kairi's stomach did flips in revulsion, her knees locking in pure fight. She had stumbled into a realm of monsters...._

 

 

_Still defiant, and with enough fight still in him, Axel pushed off of Saix, loosening his body from the foreign hand. Creating much-needed separation, Axel wreathed his whole left arm in flame and lunged at the other Nobody, swinging wildly and unleashing a violent cry._

 

 

_With his expression not changing an ounce, Saix casually caught the Axel's fist with the hand still covered in ichor. Just as easily as Axel had nabbed Kairi, Saix seized Axel's hand, snuffing out his fire. The two struggled against each other for a while, but Saix was clearly the stronger of the two, even without the cavernous wound in Axel's chest cavity. The sound of bones snapping and cracking echoed out through the void, first Axel's hands as Saix enclosed his around it, but then he began to twist and bend Axel's arms, contorting it to odd, alien angles, no doubt causing the radius, ulna, and humerus to snap and crack and fragment._

 

 

_Once more, Axel wailed in agony, as Kairi's blood ran cold. This was so horrific, and yet she couldn't find it within herself to pull or turn away._

 

 

_It seemed that if Saix was not currently holding on to his mangled arm, Axel would not be standing at the point. In fact, it seemed it was a miracle he was conscious at all, given the pain he was suffering._

 

 

“ _Isa...” Axel huffed in a ragged, laboured breath. “Why are you doing this...?” One of his legs gave out, so Axel was now looking up at the other Nobody. “What happened to us? We were friends.... We were suppose to be in this together. Why did you betray me and join Xemnas...?”_

 

 

_For the first time, Saix actually deigned to show emotion, his face twisting into a horrific, frightful glower._

 

 

“ _My name is Saix! I discarded that worthless persona long ago.” Saix effortlessly lifted Axel over his head, still only holding on to his one hand. “And I did not betray anyone, the only traitor here is you!” Saix snarled as he brought Axel down from the apex, bringing the fiery Nobody down, and warping his spine around his knee and thigh. Once more, the sound of snapping bones rang out. “And as I vowed to the Superior, I would root out and eliminate any betrayers in our midst.”_

 

 

_Once more Saix picked up Axel, letting him dangle in the air. The redhead's entire lower body was warped and twisted, sticking out at odd, impossible angles. His eyes flitted open and close, barely able to hold on._

 

 

_Ghostly blue flame lit up on Saix's free hand, who formed it into a claw._

 

 

“ _But I will thank you for leading us to the girl. The Organization thanks you for your final contribution, Number VIII._

 

 

“ _Farewell.”_

 

 

_Lashing out with the clawed hand, Saix easily tore through Axel's left shoulder, severing the twisted, mangled arm from his twisted mangled body._

 

 

_Axel went flying through the air, over the edge of the stone road, vanishing into the void without another word._

 

 

_Kairi's legs gave out on her. She sank to her knees and wanted to scream in terror, but her voice bunched up in her throat. She knew she need to run or hid or do anything but her body refused to answer the primal call._

 

 

_It was too late, anyways._

 

 

_Saix tossed aside Axel's severed limb like so much refuse and approached her._

 

 

“ _Now, little girl, come along. Otherwise, I would have to give you a similar treatment to our traitor. And I would hate having to rough up such an important asset...”_

 

 

Kairi woke up in a cold sweat.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

“Kairi?” Yuna softly rapped on the surface of Kairi's bedroom door. “Are you up, yet?”

 

 

There was no reply. Yuna knocked again.

 

 

“Are you okay? Please say something, we're all worried about you.”

 

 

Again, no response. Yuna sighed. There was only one way to rectify this.

 

 

“I'm coming in then, okay?” Yuna said. The dual-eyed girl then slowly slid the door open and entered.

 

 

It had been two days since the nightmare on Beast's Castle (and that was putting things lightly...) and things had not been going well, to say the least. Yuna's hasty Cure spell on Paine had proven to be an absolute blessing, in hindsight, as the stern swordswoman was able to rouse herself out of unconscious, not too long after Kairi bested Xaldin. Thinking quick and acting quicker, Paine gathered up her allies and hurriedly got them back to the ship, leaving without even sparing a second thought to the fate of Belle or Beast. Back on the ship, Paine stuffed as many Potions and Ethers into her three allies as she could, trying to stabilize their wounds and at least get Yuna up on her feet so that her and her White Magic could get to work.

 

 

By now, they were all basically fully recovered. Physically, at least. The psychological and mental scars, however, ran much deeper. The Gullwings certainly had their pride damaged, and would not forget their near-brush with death anytime soon, but Kairi was an utter wreck. The very first thing she did when revived was retch and dry heave, before breaking down into body-rocking sobs, tearfully muttering how thankful she was everyone was alive. Beyond that, she basically holed herself up in her room, only leaving to eat or to receive further treatment from Yuna. She barely ate, spoke even less, and carried with her an aura of despair, so heavy it was almost tangible.

 

 

The experience had broken her spirit. After some much welcomed forward progress, Kairi's confidence was sent tumbling backwards, regressing even past their first landing in Twilight Town.

 

 

Yuna was gravely worried for her friend. Not just for the sake of the mission, or her future as a warrior, but as a person. This was a horrible traumatic experience to go through, and the last thing Yuna wanted was to see anyone dragged down by the choking shackles of despair.

 

 

Yuna turned the lights on as she entered the room, seeing Kairi was huddled up on top of her bed, still dressed in her pajamas, her hair in a tangled mess. The redhead didn't so much as look at her as she entered and crossed the distance between them.

 

 

“We haven't seen you all day, are you hungry at all?” Yuna asked. Kairi didn't reply and just shook her head, not even bothering to look. Heartbreak and loss and suffering were all delicate subjects, so Yuna was doing her best to not force Kairi to do anything before she was ready. Just keep things polite and gentle.

 

 

Yuna sat down on the edge of the bed, one foot on the ground, turning to face her companion. “Did you sleep well last night?” Nightmares had been plaguing the girl, most of Xaldin, but sometimes of other things. Her kidnapping and Sora's bargain with the Organization. Flashbacks to prior traumas. Somehow they were worse than any dark fantasy her mind could conjure.

 

 

Kairi didn't answer.

 

 

“We got a heading, by the way. The next Blackheart Stone. It's fairly far out, though, so it will be a few days, still.”

 

 

Kairi didn't answer.

 

 

“Your wounds look like they've healed up well, but how are you feeling? Is there any lingering pain anywhere?”

 

 

Kairi didn't answer.

 

 

“Have you thought maybe you'd like to get back to training? We can start slow, if you don't feel up to it, just simple stretches and exercises.”

 

 

Kairi didn't answer.

 

 

Yuna sighed and scratched her head through her brown hair. This was getting her nowhere. The worst feeling in the world was wanting to help someone but not knowing how. Yuna craned her neck about and saw a small book laying on top of Kairi's nightstand. Her interest piqued, Yuna reached out towards it.

 

 

“No, don't.” Kairi's voice was small and raspy, but the suddenness caused Yuna to freeze all the same. “I... just... that's Sora's.... It's his and don't want anyone else going through it. Sorry...”

 

 

Yuna felt like she should be offended by that sentiment, but she was just grateful Kairi was speaking at all. “No, I'm sorry. I should have asked first.”

 

 

Silence overtook the two girls, as Yuna hopefully looked at Kairi. For a brief moment, the two did lock eyes, Kairi's big purple-blue eyes wide and shaking, tearful, before Kairi averted her gaze, looking down and covering her head with her hands. Seeing that this might be a fruitless venture, Yuna declined her head politely, before heading to the door.

 

 

Once more, Kairi's voice caused her to stop.

 

 

“Yuna.... What am I suppose to do?”

 

 

The brunette gunslinger turned around to face her friend, seeing that Kairi was trembling like a leaf, holding onto herself, as if just saying those words expended a tremendous amount of effort.

 

 

“How am suppose to keep going after all that? Every waking and sleeping moment, I'm back there... I can see and hear and feel everything all over again! Every time I tell myself I'm going to get over it and move on, that terror returns. It holds onto my heart and my entire body becomes paralyzed! I-I-I don't even know if Belle and Beast are okay! What am I suppose to do if two of Sora's oldest friends died because of me?”

 

 

Tears had begun to well up in Kairi's eyes by the end of her outburst, as she and Yuna met each other's gazes again. This time, Kairi remained unerring in her stare, desperately looking for advice.

 

 

“Please, Yuna, please tell me, what am I suppose to do?”

 

 

Yuna entered a state of quiet thought, being very deliberate in choosing her words. This was an incredibly crucial point in Kairi's journey, and Yuna wanted to do everything she could to help her out of this dark place.

 

 

“I think what's important, right now...” Yuna began after a long while, speaking slowly, still taking time to consider her words. “Right now, you can't let that fear take control of you, Kairi, otherwise we're all lost. And I know it's hard, but it's what has to be done. Just because we were all beaten back then doesn't erase all the hard work we've already put in. All the good you've done. You destroyed three Stones already, you restored peace to three worlds... even if Belle and the Beast got hurt, we all survived, I'm sure they did too.

 

 

“No matter how hard it is, you need to keep having faith in yourself, Kairi. Because we all still have faith in you.”

 

 

Once more, the two just stared at each other for a long while, Kairi only nodding her head very slowly. While Yuna dearly believed the words she spoke, she knew no words could fully assuage Kairi's fears. Especially considering Yuna had not been able to answer the most important question. The unanswered question.

 

 

“What do I do when we encounter the Organization again?”

 

 

Because Yuna didn't know how to solve that question, either.

 

 

Wishing her well, Yuna excused herself and traversed through the sterile halls of the ship.

 

 

 _What am I suppose to do? What are we suppose to do?_ Yuna thought, as she headed towards the galley. _Very good questions, Kairi..._

 

 

Paine and Rikku were currently crowding at the table in the galley, trying to keep themselves busy. Paine was at work on maintenance for her equipment, polishing her shield and sharpening her sword. Rikku had monopolized most of the tabletop, currently rummaging through a big toolbox, while more of the space was strewn with wires and small circuit boards and chips and various other pieces of electronic equipment. The Al-Bhed girl had buried herself in her work since recovering, working fervently on making a portable radar to find the Stones easier.

 

 

“Well, how is she?” Paine asked, as Yuna entered the room, not even looking up from her shield. Of course Paine knew she went to visit Kairi. The dark-clad woman was nothing if not shrewd.

 

 

“Not great.” Yuna said with a sigh. “I was actually able to talk to her for a bit, trying to bolster her spirits, but... I don't know how much good it will do. She's broken, she's scared for herself, worried about others, and doubting her skills...” Yuna trailed off, trying to find more words that just wasn't just repeating herself, but failing, unable to fully convey her worries.

 

 

“I mean, we all went through that hell and you don't see any of us becoming a freakin' _hikikomori_.” Riku reflexively brought a hand to her stomach, before pulling it away, then going back to her work.

 

 

“We've been doing this for a long time.” Yuna countered her cousin. “We know what it's like to suffer a loss like this, and we know how to bounce back. We have the experience....” She then hopefully looked towards Paine.

 

 

“There's not a whole lot we can do, Yuna.” Paine said. “She's either going to learn how to work through the trauma and the pain and come out of this, or -”

 

 

“Or?”

 

 

“Or she falls into a depressive mess and we're all doomed.”

 

Rikku threw her hands up in frustration. “Well, that's great! Thanks for the rousing, motivating talk there, Paine!”

 

 

“You're welcome.”

 

 

The two began to playfully bicker with one another. At least the two of them were normal. Normal as they could be. Yuna was thankful for that. She knew she was taking a lot on herself, trying to guide Kairi in the best way possible (defeated by depression or not), so having her two constant companions at her side meant the world to her.

 

 

“Well, I suppose it's time for some drastic action...” Yuna said to herself, before turning on her heel and heading in the direction of the bridge.”

 

 

“Where are you heading to?” Paine asked, while holding Rikku at bay with the length of her arm. Her other hand held up some piece of tech, playing keep-away with the blonde.

 

 

“I'm going to plot a course to a new world.”

 

 

“We already have a heading, Yuna. There's no Stones in the immediate area.”

 

 

“I know that, that's why we're making a detour to a world without a Stone.” Yuna looked over her shoulder, knowing Paine would be scrutinizing her for that declaration. Indeed, she found a pair of red eyes trained on her. “I know going out into the field is dangerous in general, but I feel like just throwing her back into a mission is a mistake. She needs to find something to ease the pain in her heart and reignite her spirit. To understand that failure is not an end, but just another part of being a hero.”

 

 

Paine stared at Yuna, but offered her support. “I trust your judgement on this, Yuna. Do you have a specific world in mind?”

 

 

“I do.” Paine's support was incredibly important to Yuna, as she herself didn't exactly know what she was doing. Yuna was use to _being_ the heroine with the weight of her world on her shoulders, not mentoring one.

 

 

As Yuna made her way to the bridge, she did have a few worlds in mind. They could trace their path all the way back to Hollow Bastion, touch base with Leon and the others, but she figured they didn't have much of a connection with Kairi, either, and couldn't offer more support than the Gullwings already could. Another idea was the go back to her home, the Destiny Islands. Seeing her family and friends again would certainly boost Kairi's spirits, but, on the same hand, from now on, there was always a chance they could encounter the Organization on any world, and one of those monsters unleashing hell on Kairi's home would do even more damage to her heart.

 

 

With those two options ruled out, Yuna had one idea left. A world neither she nor Kairi had been to. A world that seemed tailor-made to helping a hero would had lost their fighting spirit and their confidence. A world where myths were very much real.

 

 

Yuna punched the coordinates into the console.

 

 

A world of monsters, heroes, and Gods.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Two days past from that point, and it seemed Yuna's pep talk had done some good to Kairi. Or, rather, the girl was trying to put on a brave front, trying to push pass the gnawing dread that now lived in the deepest pit of her stomach. She did her best to get back to her training in earnest, but with only one day left, and just in case of lingering injury, her schedule was much lighter than usual. Probably for the best too, as Kairi found suppressing all this anxiety and doubt was exhausting her and putting a colossal strain on her ability to focus in the moment.

 

 

Still, the time had come to move on to the next world (even though Kairi could swear Yuna said the world with the next Stone was pretty far away. She must be misremembering). Warping in, the four found themselves in a wide-open sandlot. The ruins of a once great building lie before them while, directly opposite of the ruins, was a gate that led... down? That seemed odd...

 

 

“Yo, Red, you sure you're okay?” Rikku questioned the instant they beamed in, as everyone was still getting their lay of the land.

 

 

“Me? Yeah. Of course. I'm totally fine.” Kairi forced herself to make a very unnatural and hollow smile, trying to ensure her companions she would be okay.

 

 

But, “okay” was about the furthest thing away from what she was. The aforementioned dread lurked in her stomach, and she knew if she stood still for too long, she would begin to shake and tremble. Kairi felt like she could probably handle some Heartless at the moment, maybe even a Guardian... if only her and the Gullwings were present. She had no trust in her ability to help and protect others or noncombatants. And heaven help if the Gullwings got hurt again. Or if she encountered another Organization member. Then she felt like she would crumble into pieces. Or petrify on the spot. Or turn tail and run. Or any other of number of courses of action that revealed her true cowardice, rendering all the anxiety she possessed for the world to see.

 

 

Still, Kairi tried to press on. Even if it was readily apparent she was not in the right state of mind. Beyond her empty, forced smile, her entire body was entirely tight and wound up. Her shoulders clenched and held high, hands balled into fists, movements very stiff. The redhead looked like one wrong touch in the wrong spot would cause her to break. Both physically and mentally.

 

 

All of this was clear to the Gullwings, who shared a look with one another after Kairi's answer. “Whatever you say, then.” Came Paine's reply. “Guess we should get things started, then. Figure out what to do.”

 

 

“What do you mean, Paine?” Kairi asked. “We're going to find the Blackheart Stone. What else would we do?”

 

 

“Right, silly me.” Paine cast a look towards Yuna, who used her mismatched eyes to ask for Paine's trust and patience.

 

 

After the fiasco on Beast's Castle (not the stuff with Xaldin, the less life endangering fiasco), Kairi had made certain to memorize certain aspects of Sora's journey, so that she could recognize worlds and his allies on sight.

 

 

 _At least I found some task I won't screw up._ Her guilty thoughts resonated in her own mind.

 

 

And even if the area they were in was rather barren, Kairi was able to immediately identify the worlds as Olympus Coliseum. She had read that some horrible monster had destroyed the Coliseum building itself, which made her a little sad. Sora's own notes had him recall his first adventure, remembering the Coliseum as a grand and wonderful place. Even if Kairi didn't necessarily care for combat sports, she still wish she could have seen it's former splendor. But, there was still work to be done, so she didn't have time to be taken in by flights of fancy, reliving Sora's past.

 

 

_Sora never failed like I did, either. I bet he never let his friends get seriously hurt. Or almost died, pathetically and forgotten._

 

 

There were others gathered in the sandlot, as well, three people standing in a corner near the far gateway that led downwards: a brunette woman, tall and curvaceous, dressed in a lavender toga; a small, portly goat-man, horns and hooves and everything; and a tall, statuesque, incredibly muscular looking man, broad shoulders and titanic biceps, dressed in bronze armour and with rusty red hair.

 

 

Kairi recognized all three of them on the spot.

 

 

“Excuse me. Hello. Hercules. Megara. Philocletes.” Kairi greeted, trying to sound friendly, but it just came off as forced. Her words and tone were as stiff as her movement. “My name is Kairi and I-”

 

 

“Okay, first of all, ix-nay on the 'Philocletes', there.” Phil interrupted, gruffly, pointing a finger in Kairi's direction. He, along with both Hercules and Megara, had turned about, getting their first good look at Kairi and the approaching Gullwings. “It's just 'Phil'. Second of all Chickadee,” Kairi mouthed the word back in confusion, “I'll tell you what I've been tellin' everyone the past couple a' days. Just 'cause my boy is in a bit of a slump, doesn't mean I'm acceptin' new applicants. So, I just got one word for the four of ya:

 

 

“GET OUT!!!”

 

“That's two words.” Paine noted, bluntly.

 

 

“No, no, no, no. I'm not looking for anything from you, I, uh, I just...” Kairi looked and sounded totally flustered. “What we're here for, well, I, uh... Sora! And the Stone is busy so we came...”

 

 

Kairi babbled without direction or course for a while, just letting words and words fall out of her mouth, drawing confused looks from the trio standing before her. The Gullwings all exchanged a grim look, seeing how rattled the Key Bearer got at the slightest thing.

 

 

Finally, Yuna spoke up, covering for her friend. “We're friends of Sora. Well, Kairi is. The three of us are just sort of acquaintances. He's... a little busy at the moment, so we've come around to lend a helping hand to all of his allies.”

 

  
Kairi breathed a sigh of relief at Yuna's lifeline, looking ashamed at herself for the unseemly display.

 

 

“Oh, you're friends of the Junior Hero, huh? Why didn't ya say somethin', then?”

 

 

Rikku snickered and snorted. “Junior Hero?”

 

 

“Well, you certainly have good timing like Sora, if that's the case.” Megara said, eyes switching between the rumble before her and Hercules, who was wearing a glum and unsure look. “We're in a bit of a bind here – Wonderboy more than anyone – and any extra help would be appreciated.

 

 

The two groups then proceeded to exchange more formal and proper introductions (Rikku immediately took to eyeballing Hercules, up and down, trying to touch his muscles, something Megara certainly did not appreciate). Yuna mostly spoke for the Gullwings, Kairi finding herself stumbling over her tongue and own words, feeling like an utter fool. The girls shared the basic gist of their mission, briefly mentioning the Blackheart Stones (but only after Kairi hurriedly reminded Yuna to bring them up), while Megara and Phil recalled the unfortunate events that had rippled through the Coliseum in recent days.

 

 

Hercules told the story of him getting involved in match after match at the Coliseum, facing any challenger – human, monstrous or otherwise – that came his way, and then assisting Sora in freeing Meg and besting some villain. It seemed that even a Demigod like Hercules only possessed a great amount of stamina, not infinite, and couldn't be everywhere at once, as in his absence, the Coliseum was destroyed. As a result, Hercules was currently under a massive crisis of confidence, the guilt of his absence still weighing the heroic warrior down, not to mention the sheer fatigue he was suffering through.

 

 

“... I feel like I've let everyone down.” Hercules shook his head in shame, while Megara comforted him. “Not just myself, or Phil, but the staff at the Coliseum, the townsfolk – this was a pillar of the community, and now it's gone...”

 

 

“Great, so we're have two sadsack heroes on our hands...” Paine muttered under her breath.

 

“Well, I mean, it's just a building right?” Rikku pointed out, examining the ruined stone littering the yard. “Why don't ya just slap an 'Out of Order' sign on the doors and rebuild?”

 

 

“Ain't that simple, toots.” Phil said. Rikku looked peeved as being referred to in such a manner. “The battles in the Coliseums are an offering to the Gods. It's a tribute. A show. It's important. Even if we do just rebuild, someone somewhere has to hold the games in the meantime.”

 

 

“And unfortunately Hades has taken just such a time to reopen the Underdrome.” Hercules explained, casting a look at the doorway that lead down in the earth, Kairi now understanding it was a gate to the underworld itself.

 

 

“Still don't know which numbskull was crazy enough to unseal that nightmare.”

 

 

“Probably some careless idiot.” Rikku said, unknowingly insulting Sora.

 

Phil shook his head and grumbled a curse. “But, that lousy hothead can't just monopolize things. The Coliseum may be broken, but it ain't closed. So, we're gonna settle things the way we always settle things – in the games!”

 

 

“You're having a tournament?” Yuna asked.

 

 

Before anyone else could reply, as if on cue, there was a dramatic burst of flame and smoke, ushering in an imposing figure into the lot. Riding around on a chariot pulled by a skeletal horse, the being possessed ashen grey skin, dressed in a black toga, and lacked hair, instead his head was capped with a wisp of bright blue flame. He looked elated, ecstatic, beyond jubilant. The happiest a man or God could possibly be.

 

 

“That's right, that's right, a tournament! A most glorious tournament!” The being declared, taking a few more laps around the yard, earning glares from Phil, Meg, and Herc. “Listen here schumcks, the Underdrome is back! And to commemorate such an occasion, Hades – that's me, by the way, in case you forgot. Y'know? God of the Dead? Lord of the Underworld? Me! – proudly presents the Kronus Kup! Named after my dear old departed daddy, that miserable old coot – and it will decide the ultimate fate of the Coliseum! Will the grand-spanking newly refurbished Underdrome rule the roost – with me as promoter and commissioner, of course – or are we gonna keep playing in this rinky dink kiddy pool on the surface?”

 

 

“Someone sure likes the sound of their own voice.” Paine grumbled in reaction Hades's erratic, self-aggrandizing, rapid-fire speech.

 

 

The chariot came to a skidding stop, allowing Hades to loom over the collected seven people. “And lemme tell ya folks, we got a doozy of an inaugural contest here. Are good old Blunderboy, old reliable, the reigning Champ-ee-own, Herc-a-Jerk, standing against hordes and hordes of personally curated Heartless. Winner take all!”

 

 

Now the picture was becoming clearer. Obviously Hercules had no choice but to participate in the tournament, but he was clearly the only human competitor fighting for the Coliseum, facing endless teams of Heartless. If he slipped up even once, it was all over. And considering his current state of mind and body...

 

  
“And this time,” Hades continued, not allowing anyone to get a word in edgewise. “No interloping twerp is going to get in my way and-” For the first time, Hades got a good look at Kairi, and this caused him to finally cease his yacking. “....Key Boy looks a lot different this time around.” He spared a look at he Gullwings, leering at Paine in particular. “So does his usual entourage of idiots There's three of them, for one. Well, no matter. No matter! And you know why? Because I can't lose this time! Finally, everything is going Hades' way.”

 

 

“Lookie here, freakshow,” Rikku began, delivering a biting tone and annoyed glare on behalf of the entire group. “We were sort of in the middle of an important conversation here, before you butted in. So, why don't you take all your big fancy words, your big fancy chariot, and you big, fancy, dead horse and go away.” She then flicked her hands at the wrist. “Shoo. Shoo shoo.”

 

 

Hades only chuckled at the censure. “Ah, the little blonde one has some chutzpah. I like.”

 

 

“Wait, I'm dead!?” The skeletal horse questioned, in a deep, reverberating voice.

 

 

“Do what the girl said and go slink back under whichever rock you crawled out of.” Megara spat, glaring daggers at the Deity.

 

 

“Settle down, little Nutmeg. Some good nature taunting is just a part of the show. Builds the program. Gets the audience more invested.” Hades then turned his attention to Hercules, drawing up to match him in height. “And seriously, Blunderboy? You're gonna let a bunch of _girls_ talk smack of you? Or did you lose your voice along with your spine?”

 

 

That seemed to earn the ire of the hero, his face twisting in anger, even if his weariness still reflected in his eyes. “I'll let my fists do the talking in the ring, Hades. Just you wait.”

 

 

Hades' eyes alighted maliciously, black lips parting to revealing tiny, pointed teeth, practically salivating at the idea of forcing Hercules through this meat-grinder of a tournament. He looked every bit as terrifying and fearsome as a God of the Dead should....

 

 

...But this menacing aura was quickly dispelled when his undead horse turned to him, asking him in a distressed voice.

 

 

“Why didn't you tell me I was dead?”

 

 

Hades' face fell flat, giving out an exasperated sigh. The moment ruined like the Coliseum, Hades snapped his fingers, causing him, his chariot, and his fancy dead horse to vanish in a puff of smoke and brimstone.

 

 

“I guess that educates everyone on the full scale of what's going on.” Meg summed up with her typical sardonic tone. “Wonder Boy's in the tournie, but every other competitor are Heartless. If he slips up even once, then the Coliseum is done for, and it's Underdrome all day, every day from here on out.”

 

 

“Well, we're not going to let that happen!” Kairi declared, pumping her fists, her body still buzzing with nervous energy. “We're here, we can lend a hand.” She looked to the Gullwings for support, Yuna offering a reassuring nod. “We can join with Hercules in the tournament, and then we can hunt for the Stone.”

 

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold your Mares of Diomedes there Chickadee.” Once more, Kairi was confused by Phil's nickname. “I can't in good conscious let a bunch of newbies fresh to the circuit into that slaughterhouse. Rule forty-four clearly states that all fighters have to go through their paces and pay their dues before they get their chance in the big leagues.” Paine snorted, derisively

 

 

“No.” The white-haired woman said, brusquely. “We're not going to have our value judged by some tubby old billy-goat.” She stared down at Phil, who was taken aback someone challenged him on such a matter. “We're gonna fight, whether you like it or not.”

 

“Hey, listen here! I'm the Trainer here, and what I say-”

 

 

“Phil!” Hercules interjected. “They're friends with Sora, I think we can trust them and rely on them. And besides,” Hercules looked over at Kairi and the Gullwings, once more looking ashamed at himself, as his next words were already on his lips. “...Besides, in this state, I could use all the help I can get. I don't know if I can get the job done on my own anymore.”

 

 

“You can count on us, Herc...” Kairi replied. “I'll do everything I can to help out all of Sora's friends.” The redhead then noticed her right hand was trembling. She seized it with her other hand, steadying it, hoping no one else noticed.

 

 

“Eh, what I wouldn't give to have even the Junior Hero around,” Phil grumbled, defeated, “but I guess any port in a storm. Let's go then!” Phil waved everyone on, as he started trotting towards to the gate to the Underworld. “I'm serious, let's go! First match is in an hour!”

 

 

“An hour?” Kairi repeated in surprise, voice rising a few octaves.

 

 

“Less than an hour, but that's not important. We gotta warm up. Train. Stretch. Strategize. It all comes down to six words: prepare to win, or prepare to fail.”

 

 

Hercules and Megara followed behind, the trio of native eventually vanishing down the stairway, leaving Kairi and her entourage to lag behind.

 

 

Finally, as the party began to move, Paine abruptly said. “I don't like him. The goat.”

 

 

“Come on guys, I know we're just sort of thrown into this, but it's still important.” Kairi said, trying to bolster and cheer on her team. “We have to do what we can to help others along the way, too. Not just focus on the mission.”

 

 

Kairi ran ahead to join Hercules and the others, while the Gullwings focused less on what she said, and more on the words she left out.

 

 

“We have to do what we can to help others, because I failed before, and I need to make it up to myself.”

 

 

“She's gonna break, guys.” Rikku summed up. “She's pushing herself, too soon, too fast. Red ain't herself, still.”

 

 

“We just need to keep faith. That she can find her courage once again.” Yuna replied, trying to buoy the general air of the group, but even she realized how hollow her words were. She didn't even know where to begin in how to help her.

 

 

Paine seemed to be of similar mind.

 

 

“I sure hope you know what you're doing, Yuna.”

 

 

“I hope so, too, Paine.”

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

“You've got to be kidding me!? That little bird iced Xaldin? How!?”

 

 

Xigbar's angry rant echoed through the Organization's meeting chamber. Word had just made their way of Xaldin's failure and his demise, as well as the fact that their enemy was barely able to escape with her life. Now, only four Nobodies found themselves occupying the precipitous, towering, impractical thrones, coming to terms with the untimely end of their comrade.

 

 

Saix gave a dismissive shake of his head at Xigbar's outburst. “If he fell in combat to that pathetic girl, then Xaldin truly wasn't worth of sitting here with us.” The eyepatched Nobody slammed his fist on his throne's arm.

 

 

“Watch your mouth, you overgrown house cat!” Xigbar spat, glaring at Saix. Saix barely reacted to the threat. “Me, Xaldin, and the Superior were the ones who started this whole deal, so I ain't gonna let you run your mouth and insult him, ya hear?”

 

 

Saix reared up, ready to fire back – either physically or verbally or both – before Xemnas held up a hand, demanding quiet and calm, which the Superior received.

 

 

“This is neither the time nor the place to bicker amongst ourselves, Number II. Number VII. There are more important matters at hand.”

 

 

“All too correct, Superior.” Luxord chimed in. “We need to show solemnity towards our deceased comrade; a dirge to our dear departed Whirlwind Lancer.” Luxord showed a display of mock mourning, before a sly smile spread across his face. “And, I suppose, we need to select a new assassin to deal with our wayward Princess. I threw my hat into the ring before, and I shall do it once more! Superior! Grant me this honour, and I shall promise you a spectacle all too apropos for the death of a Princess of Heart and Key Bearer.”

 

 

Xemnas looked down at his subordinate, considering his offer. Xigbar, too, seemed eager at an opportunity to finish off Kairi, while Saix was wholly disinterested. Xemnas summed up his answer in one word.

 

 

“No.”

 

 

The Superior of the Organization stood up to full height on the seat of his throne, summoning a Dusk Nobody, which floated in the empty air before Xemnas. “Our numbers have been depleted heavily, and I would not risk losing another when we are so close at long last, so close to completing our Kingdom Hearts...” He uttered those last two words in a reverent tone.

 

 

“So you're just gonna let the Heartless handle her?” Xigbar questioned.

 

 

“No. I have a different method of attack in mind.”

 

 

Xemnas held a hand out, as silvery thorns composed of an alien energy extended out from his arm, snaking towards the Dusk.

 

 

“All Nobodies derive their power from the nothing. And when they perish, so does it return to that nothingness.”

 

 

The thorns began to wind and bind their way around the poor lesser Nobody, cocooning it in the energy.

 

 

“But Nothingness is my sole providence, and now, I call upon those forgotten powers deep with in the void, to reborn what was thought lost forever.”

 

 

The cocoon and the Nobody within began to warp and distend in shape and size, growing larger and larger.

 

 

When the process finally finished, Xigbar, Saix, and Luxord were all stunned by what they had witnessed.

 

 

“Go forth, and eliminated the girl with the Keyblade.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kairi calling Axel a “gross asshole” is a balm upon my soul.
> 
>  
> 
> -So, much like the Dive scene earlier, I probably should have shown the flashback to Saix stealing Kairi from Axel (maybe the game should have shown that scene too, for that matter...) earlier in the story, but I think it fits fine here. Kairi's is currently in a bad spot, mentally, and her depression is causing her to relive all the recent trauma in her life.
> 
>  
> 
> -Originally, there was to be a Blackheart Stone on Olympus, but then I figured that would be too much going on for one world, so I changed it to Yuna going out of her way to help Kairi. And I think it's a change for the better. It speaks much to Yuna's character that she would put the well being of her friend before the mission.
> 
>  
> 
> -Now, everyone is probably all aware that I do not like Saix. Like, at all. In any role in any game. So, bit of a retcon, in now he's just the brute than handles the Organization's dirty work, versus him serving as a number two to Xemnas in the games (which is even more confusing considering how much of an expanded role Xigbar received in future games; he's basically an afterthought in his debut game). He's not an important villain in this, beyond being a hate-sink who screws with our heroes and underestimates and looks down upon them.
> 
>  
> 
> But speaking of that, I just have to ask: who was asking for a Saix Face Turn in KH III? Honestly, show of hands, please. Because that is one of the downright mind-boggling and ridiculous turns that game pulls. Like, he has been nothing more than a monster to almost all of our protagonists (Sora, Kairi, Riku, Roxas, Xion...) and yet he gets a sympathetic sob story and a redemption? He gets a happy ending where Sora and Kairi do not? What absolute garbage....
> 
>  
> 
> -Also, cards on the table, I totally cribbed the “Wait I'm dead?/Why didn't you tell me I'm dead?” joke from Star vs The Forces of Evil. I remember hearing that years and years ago and just dying of laughter, I thought it was the funniest thing in the world.
> 
>  
> 
> But I think that all I have to say for the time being, As always, please take the opportunity to leave a comment or thought as you see appropriate, anything is always welcomed and it makes my day. What do you think of Yuna taking on the role of Kairi's mentor and minder? What will bring Kairi and Herc out of their respective funks? And just what do you think Xemnas is planning and doing in that final scene? Drop a line, anytime, dear readers.
> 
>  
> 
> Until next time, let the light guide your path forward.


	10. An Absent Silhouette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the lack of a chapter last week. Got wrapped up in doing something for SoKai week. It was a lot of fun.
> 
>  
> 
> Anyways, we now return to our regularly schedules fanfiction programming.

**She Will Light The Way  
Chapter Ten  
An Absent Silhouette**

 

 

To Sora, there was something incredibly perverse about his current attire.

 

 

The Organization's black cloak.

 

 

It was more than it just being the uniform of his enemy, the uniform of his captors and tormentors. No, it went beyond that. There was... a feeling, echoing within the depths of his heart. A feeling of familiarity. But he had never worn this before, right? He certainly hadn't seen one until the King had popped up in Twilight Town garbed in one. And, yet he couldn't shake this feeling. It was like the melancholy he had felt when he took the train to Yen Sid's tower, another one of these ghost feelings he kept having ever since he woke up...

 

 

“C'mon kiddo, get the lead out. I don't got all day.”

 

 

Sora looked up. He had stopped dead in his tracks, absent mindedly examining and rubbing his current state of dress. Xigbar was looking back at him, motioning for him to get back to work.

 

 

Ever since Sora had exchanged his freedom for Kairi's (he flinched recalling the moment in question, his foolishness in trusting the Organization, Kairi's last words, and the reality of her final fate...), the Organization had put him right to work in harvesting hearts from the Heartless in order to construct their magnum opus, the artificial Kingdom Hearts. Everyday, he spent several hours being ushered to and from worlds via Corridor, accompanied by either Xigbar, Saix, or Luxord, slaying every Heartless that came across his path. While similar to what he had been doing with Donald and Goofy prior, but also incredibly hollow. Empty. He wasn't meeting new people, coming to the need of those waiting for a hero, or solving the personal problems of those he encountered.

 

 

Just Heartless, Heartless, Heartless.

 

 

Fight, fight, fight.

 

 

Currently, Sora found himself joined by Xigbar, traversing the snowy mountain ranged that dotted The Land of Dragons. As he saw ahead of him another spawning of various Heartless, Sora wanted to do nothing more than to bolt down the mountainside and find Mulan or Captain Shang or anyone. Find any kind of lifeline to pull him away from this nightmare and get back to fighting the good fight. To pay the Organization back for all they had done to him. For what they did to Kairi and Riku...

 

 

But, Sora couldn't do that. He couldn't risk being out of line, or else the Organization would-

 

 

_Wait..._

 

 

“I said 'hurry up'.” Xigbar repeated, impatiently, as Sora remained anchored in place. “I'm not getting any younger over here. Chop, chop.”

 

 

“You know, it's kinda funny.” Sora said, looking up and staring down Xigbar. “I thought you guys had all the cards here, but, you don't do you? You can't do anything to me now that Riku and Kairi are... are gone...” Sora couldn't dare bring himself to actually think of his two best friends as “dead”. Even if that was the reality, he was sure acknowledging it would destroy him. “So why should I listen to you guys, huh?” Sora struck a fighting stance, challenging the Nobody. “Why don't I just do what I always do and batter you jerks?” Xigbar's sole visible eye narrowed, as a sick smile formed on his lips.

 

 

“Y'know, gotta say I'm impressed.” The Nobody let out a round of mock applause. “Didn't think you would figure that out so soon. You're not as dumb as you look, kid...

 

 

“But, you're forgetting one really important thing.”

 

 

Xigbar fished a cue card out from his cloak – Sora remembered Demyx had once done the same thing, this must have just been standard operating procedure for the Organization, weirdly enough. Putting on a bit of a show, Xigbar mimed putting on glasses, cleared his throat, drawing out the tension and Sora's annoyance. That twisted look on his face had never vanished.

 

 

Reading aloud, he said, “'Yakumo Kido'. 'Sayaka Kido'. 'Ame Kido'. 'Fuuka Kida'.”

 

 

Sora's heart dropped. “Th-that's my family...”

 

 

“Yup! Bet it's been a long time since you've since them. Hell, bet it's been a while since you've thought about them, seeing as how you're acting so stone cold, huh?” Xigbar chuckled darkly, wagging the cue card at Sora. “But anyways, where was I? Oh, yeah! If you fail to cooperate like a good little hostage, I have been instructed to pay your folks a little visit. I think it's only fair the fam gets a chance to learn about all the things you've been getting up to in the meantime, and they deserve to meet their son's chaperone. Oh, and yeah, and then I'm suppose to put each and everyone of them down. With prejudice.”

 

 

A horrific wave of guilt and terror washed over Sora. He had never imagined the Organization would play such dirty pool. Then again, they had already stooped to such desperate levels before, why stop now?

 

 

“No! You can't!”

 

 

“Oh, but I can.” Xigbar was clearly relishing this moment. Relishing in making his captive sweat and feel even more vulnerable and helpless. “It may be a bit lowdown and icky, but I got no problem getting my hands dirty. And, hey, if you're still so deadset on defying us even after I slaughter your whole family, well, there's a laundry list of friends and loved ones out there we can use as leverage to make you do our bidding.

 

 

“So, ask yourself Sora: How many bodies do you want piled at your feet before enough is enough?”

 

 

Sora's previous challenging stance had diminished and withered in the face of the threat. He had already lost Kairi and Riku. There's no way he could keep going if his parents or his sisters or any of his friends were hurt as a result of this. Of his decision. The deal had already led to so many innocents suffering, all because of his moment of weakness...

 

 

_But I'm not going down without a fight._ A spark of defiance still existed within Sora. _I'm going to find a way out of this and fix everything. Without anyone else sacrificing themselves in the process._

 

 

Sora promised that to himself. To Kairi and Riku and the King and Donald and Goofy... wherever any of them were.

 

 

Summoning Kingdom Key, Sora stormed over to the gaggle of Heartless, but not before shooting a furious, vengeful look at Xigbar. The Nobody bared his teeth and sneered as Sora went to work.

 

 

“Yeah, yeah. It's always that same damn look from the three of you. Spare me and get back to work...”

 

 

As Sora went to do the deed (phantom gun to his head), suddenly, a Corridor of Darkness formed into existence further up the slope, drawing both the attention of the Key Bearer and his jailer. Never had two Organization members accompanied Sora, nor had another one come midway through to interrupt or join in, so this was more than an odd. Even more odd was when the summoner of the portal walked out, revealing a tall man dressed in a similar cloak to both Xigbar and Sora.

 

 

With the hood up, obscuring his identity.

 

 

“Xigbar!” The mysterious figure called out, in a deep voice that Sora knew he recognized, but couldn't quite identify who it belonged to. “Hand him over, before you lose the other eye.”

 

 

“Well, well, look at this.” Xigbar chuckled again, seemingly not taking anything seriously. “Tell me, which hole have you been lurking in this entire time?” The eye-patched Nobody had drawn both of his arrow guns, lazily swinging them in his fingers, holding them below his waist.

 

 

The invader drew up into a much more direct and purposeful fighting stance, holding some sort of sword in his right hand. Xigbar stood in between the stranger and Sora, making it so the boy had difficulty seeing exactly what he was wielding.

 

 

The mysterious figure began to approach. “Last warning. Hand Sora over or I wi-” Just as suddenly as he had appeared, the invader came to a halt, clutching at his chest, speech coming to an end in a strangled garble. Grunts now came from the man, as he fell to his knees in pain, his weapon sliding away from him over top the snow.

 

 

Now Sora could clear see the sword, too. To his great surprise, he recognized it instantly. It was Soul Eater! _But that would mean.... Wait! Does that mean this guy is-_

 

 

Xigbar clicked his tongue in dismissal, now wagging one of his firearms in the face of the invader. “Now this is just such a sad sight, you know?” Taking aim – not at the figure, but at the mountains behind him – Xigbar unleashed a flurry of shots, empty the clip of one of his guns. The crystalline projectiles soared into the distance, detonating into faint explosion that echoed across the peaks. “After all that trouble you caused by taking Roxas from us, this is what you've been reduced to? Pathetic!” The Nobody stormed up to the man, still writhing in pain on the ground, and kicked him in the sternum, sending him flying back. “Guess you didn't quite expect your gambit to end up killing you. That's what you get for tapping into such a malignant darkness like the remnants of a Heartless. The remnants of _his_ Heartless.”

 

 

Xigbar conjured a swirling Dark Corridor opening near Sora.

 

 

In the background, if one focused hard enough, they could hear a low, rumbling sound. It was building, slowly and gradually.

 

 

“Hey! Wait a minute!” Sora shouted in protest, looking at the cloaked figure, who – despite everything – was still crawling towards him and his captor. “Who are you? Don't tell me, you can't be... are you -”  
  


 

Sora's next words were gagged and muffled, as Xigbar clamped a gloved hand over his mouth.

 

 

“Nah, no more question, 'kay. We're done here, for the day.” Xigbar then cast a glance over at the intruder, then at whatever was behind him. “And he's done. Period.” The Nobody began to force the struggling Key Bearer towards the rift.

 

 

“Sora!” The man called out, in between drawing pained and labourious breaths, still pulling his being forward. “Sora! I'm not giving up! I'll save you, I promise, just like you saved me!”

 

 

“Dream on, pal! Take a look and see behind ya!”

 

 

Indeed, Xigbar's seemingly random and lackadaisical shots that sailed overhead the intruder were anything but. The explosions that rang out through the mountains just a little while ago had been more than enough to start a chain reaction in the area, as, rushing towards the position of three individuals dressed in identical black cloak, was a furious and unstoppable wave of snow and ice and stones. An avalanche.

 

 

The mysterious figure continued to struggle, to fight against his pain, to try and avoid the calamitous hazard, but it was futile. The agony coursing through his body was clearly to much for him to stand against. He was defeated.

 

 

Xigbar and Sora vanished through the black portal, as Riku was swept away in the crushing tide of snow.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

The Kronus Kup was truly and well underway! Normally, the opening of a new cup or tournament in the Coliseum would be a joyous and celebratory thing, but when being hosted within the dark confines of the Underdrome... it was anything but. Gone was the glitz and glamour of competing for the favour of the Gods themselves, and instead was a hostile atmosphere within the ring – having once hosted cruel bloodbaths and horrific torture shows – and the stands holding hosts of ghouls and ghosts and other damned souls held in eternal imprisonment by the Lord of the Dead himself, all cruel and cajoling and out for blood – anything to distract them from their terrible fate.

 

 

The combined team of Hercules, Kairi, and the three Gullwings (both Rikku and Phil wanted to come up with a more cohesive name for the collective, but were shouted down and dismissed) began their effort to try and conquer the Kup, and could immediately see the Sisyphean task Hercules would have been faced with if he was alone. Not only was Hercules the only non-Heartless, non-Hades sponsored contestant, but the bracket was heavily skewed against him. A lop-sided bracket where most of the matches took place on only one end, which happened to feature Hades' archenemy, certainly made it seem like this tournament was less than legitimate, but clearly the Kup's host did not care and was just going for broke. And even beyond that, all of the match times made it so that Hercules would be fighting two or three matches consecutively, with little room for break in between.

 

 

To say he was thankful for the extra assistance would be an understatement.

 

 

Still, even with the presence of the Keyblade Warrior and the Gullwings, things did not go smoothly. Mostly due to Kairi's and Herc's waning confidence.

 

 

Kairi, as her attitude and how she held herself suggested, had regressed in combat. Hard. She was extremely hesitant, normally hanging back as everyone else rushed forward, and was over-thinking her moves and actions. What's more, she was making mistake, bountiful mistakes, amateurish mistakes, mistakes that she didn't even make in her first battles or in training. Kairi tripped and stumbled on her own two feet, or overswung the Keyblade in wide arcs, leaving herself vulnerable and open, or just fired spells haphazardly, not taking into account the form of the spell or what elements she was using. The girl actually hit a Heartless that was covered bright red all over with a Fire spell. Every warrior worth their salt knew you used ice or water elemental magic on things that were red!

 

 

Hercules, for his part, fared a bit better than the redheaded girl, having his semi-divine nature and years of experience to fall back on it, but it was apparent that the mighty warrior was in a funk, as well. Despite the raw power at this fingertips, as well as the ability to become invulnerable, the Coliseum champion fought awfully conservatively, circling the edge of the arena and only attacking when he could get his shots in. Herc also mostly focused on attacking smaller Heartless, stragglers that had broken off from the pack, in direct opposition to his reputation for tussling and wrestling with the biggest, baddest monsters he could find. The exhaustion that weighed heavily on his body, mind, and soul was dragging him down, and the gauntlet of matches wasn't helping to ail that.

 

 

It seemed that crumbling under the weight of their responsibilities left Kairi and Hercules more as liabilities than heroes, forcing the Gullwings to pick up the slack and deal with the majority of the workload. Fortunately, busting swarms of Heartless was a fairly routine feat for the trio, and they performed with aplomb as the team of five cruised through the various rounds and trials the Kronus Kup presented.

 

 

The team had just finished up another set of matches when they were returning to the waiting area they had decided up, to rest, recover, and discuss further strategy. There were only four more matches that stood between them and the so-called “Grand Finals” of the tournament, where they would have to face one final foe to claim victory. Already, the group could see a mile away they would end up clashing with Hades in that contest. They found Phil waiting for them, as they entered the area, but there was a definite and noticed absence, too.

 

 

“Phil, where's Meg?” Hercules asked, as soon as he caught the lack-of-sight of the sarcastic brunette.

 

 

The old trainer looked confused. “Whaddya mean? She left saying she wanted to meet up with you guys on your way back here. You should've ran right into each other.” Immediately, a look of worry crossed the face of the young Demigod.

 

 

“Oh no... this is bad...”

 

 

“What's the matter, Hercules?” Kairi asked.

 

 

“I think... I think Meg has been kidnapped by Hades again.” Herc clenched his teeth in anger and annoyance. “And all because I wasn't around to protect her. No, because I've been so weak and she's been so concerned about.” The champion sighed, and hung his head in depression. “It's all my fault, again...”

 

 

“Man, talk about putting the weight of the world on your shoulders.” Paine commented, while the others made attempts to console.

 

 

“Look, I'm sure she just wandered off to concession to grab a gyro or something.” Rikku said, casually, before sidling up to Hercules, wiggling her fingers and her eyebrows in deep-seated interest. “And, I mean,” Rikku began to walk her fingers up one of Herc's massive biceps, “maybe you can use this opportunity to get to know little old me a bit better...?”

 

 

Paine slapped the back of the blonde's head. Hard.

 

 

“OW!”

 

 

“You deserved it. Stop being a little creep.”

 

 

“This is serious, you two.” Yuna scolded her friends, before turning back to Hercules. “Are you sure that's what has happened? That Megara has been kidnapped?” The Demigod nodded.

 

 

“He's probably trying to stack the deck even further against us for the Finals. It wouldn't be the first time Hades has tried to use her to get to me.”

 

 

The girls all nodded along in understanding, Kairi more glumly than the rest. She could sympathize with Megara's plight. Being used as a tool to hurt the people you love the most. A dead weight, designed to drag them down. Feeling useless and helpless.

 

 

Kairi shivered, holding onto herself to try and stop it, actions that didn't go wholly unnoticed.

 

 

Yuna looked over at Kairi's direction, seeing her briefly tremble, seeing her drop the pretense that she was doing okay, revealing the pain and frustration and fear the brave girl was desperately trying to keep in check. Yuna looked over at Kairi's direction, seeing her struggle with herself, and an idea formed.

 

 

“Rikku. Paine. I want you two to stay here and keep fighting with Hercules.” Yuna ordered her cohorts, walking next to Kairi, and placing a hand on the girl's shoulders. “Kairi and I will go and find Megara.”

 

 

Both Hercules and Kairi looked surprised by this announcement.

 

 

“No, I can't let you two.” Herc protested. “I'll go with you. It's my fault in the first place, so I should be the one to rescue her.”

 

 

“Whoa, whoa, easy there Champ.” Phil cautioned, waving his arms wildly. “Don't go jumpin' into things without thinking, again. Spreading yourself this thin was what caused this whole mess in the first place.” Hercules looked ashamed by that comment, and the satyr realized what he had said. “By that what, I mean is,” Phil verbally backtracked, “if we're gonna be fighting Hades in the Finals, then we're gonna need you at a hundred percent! Especially the Gullchicks, here. Fighting a God and fighting some Heartless are two completely different things.”

 

 

“It's 'Gull _wings_ '. You ass.” Paine corrected in a seething tone. In quick succession, she showed off a disparaging look at Phil, and then a questioning one at Yuna. “You sure about this?”

 

 

Yuna nodded, firmly. “We can't let Megara get hurt, nor let Hades use her to get to Hercules. Besides, it gives us a chance to look for the Blackheart Stone.” Yuna winked at Paine and Rikku, a gesture that escaped Kairi's notice.

 

 

“Yuna, do you really think this is a good idea?” Kairi asked, nervously, standing behind the brunette and looking surprisingly small. “Bringing me along, I mean.... It's not like I have a good recent track record of saving people, of helping those in need...” Before the redhead could say another word, Yuna clapped her hands around one of Kairi's, sealing it within her palms.

 

 

“It's like I told you Kairi, don't let your fear and anxiety control you, and have faith in yourself. In the good that you've already achieved.”

 

 

Yuna smiled warmly at her friend, which Kairi returned with a halfhearted one of her own.

 

 

“If you two are gonna do this and get back in time for the Finals, you don't have time to waste.” Urged Phil, who was examining a schedule for the remainder of the Kronus Kup. “Our next match is in forty-minutes, and the next four are all consecutive before the last match, so godspeed you two. All of them. All the Gods! All the speed!”

 

 

“Kairi. Thanks for doing this.” Hercules offered, looking more bedraggled and defeated than ever before. It seemed Meg's kidnapping was working just as Hades' planned, inflicting even more of a toll on him. Did this happen to Sora when he learned that she had been kidnapped, Kairi wondered. Was she even more of a burden than she originally thought? “It seems no matter what happens, you Keyblade Masters are the ones to pull my butt out of the fire. You and Sora. I don't know if I can ever repay you...”

 

 

Kairi looked down, a mix of embarrassment from the compliment and shame from how she had been acting. The girl was straining herself trying to think of a response to that speech, something that would sound cool and heroic. Something that would make it seem like she was okay, that her spirit wasn't damaged and her courage torn to pieces.

 

 

Something Sora would say in a time like this.

 

 

Finally, Kairi said, “Save the 'thank yous' and reparations for when Meg is safe and sound, okay?”

 

 

And with that, Kairi and Yuna excused themselves, and ventured deeper into the darkness of Hades' domain.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Riku was utterly helpless. Barely conscious. Consumed by pain. Pain from within, the burning sensation of the remnants of Ansem destroying his very being. Pain from without, surrounded on all sides by hundreds – if not thousands – of pounds of freezing, crushing snow.

 

 

He couldn't move so much as an inch within the frozen prison.

 

 

_**Riku** _

 

 

_**Riku** _

 

 

“W-who...?” Riku barely managed to speak. He had to say the words through clenched teeth, unable to even move his jaw freely.

 

 

_**Why are you here** _

 

 

_**Why are you like that** _

 

 

_**What has happened to you** _

 

 

_**I chose you for a reason I thought you were better** _

 

 

Riku's head throbbed. He was delirious from the pain. That had to be the explanation. His injuries and his crippling internal pain were causing auditory hallucinations. That was the only explanation.

 

 

But then, images began to flash through Riku's head. And, as they did, the pain abated, very briefly.

 

 

Riku could see a man. Tall. Muscular. Brown hair. Dressed almost like a samurai.

 

 

A warrior.

 

  
A hero.

 

 

This wasn't a hallucination, as far as Riku could tell. These were memories, long buried within his heart.

 

 

The warrior had said some things to him. Made him take a vow. A promise. To protect.

 

 

To protect those closest to him.

 

 

_What a joke that was..._

 

 

And then, the man took out something. A weapon.

 

 

A Keyblade.

 

 

“Who are you...” He asked again

 

 

_**I thought you were better than me** _

 

 

_**I thought you would be able to avoid the same mistakes that I made** _

 

 

More images began to pop into Riku's mind's eye. Not memories this time. At least, as far as Riku could tell.

 

 

What he saw was a barren, blasted hellscape of a world. Canyons and valleys and peaks. And a field dotted with thousands upon thousands of discarded Keyblades....

 

 

Above all this, standing vigil, was someone or something wearing a suit of armour – all bronze and copper and gold – and wielding a Keyblade that suddenly seemed incredibly familiar to Riku...

 

 

“Help me... please...”

 

 

_**Come and find me Riku** _

 

 

_**And you will once more find the path you should be walking upon** _

 

 

Somehow, calling upon the last ounces of strength in his body, Riku managed to generate the opening of a Dark Corridor, slipping into the black expanse and escaping the icy confines he had been trapped in.

 

 

_**I will be waiting** _

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Clearly, she and Yuna were heading down the right path, Kairi observed, as the further they probed the winding tunnels of the Underworld, the more Heartless appeared to harry and harass them.

 

 

Even though in her short career as a Keyblader, Kairi had already struck down dozens and dozens of Heartless, she was an old hand at this by now. And yet, every time more of these monsters appeared, their yellow eyes gazing malevolently at her, the redhead felt herself freezing up. All of her successes in the world seemed to vanish, rendering her failures in stark relief. Kairi could hear Yuna's screams echo in her head, remember Xaldin's taunts and threats, smell the sharp, iron scent of blood – hers and others – wafting into the air – and recall the horror of the moment she thought she was going to die. When battle broke out, a cocktail of negative emotion would stir inside – anger towards her enemies, frustration towards her failures, concern for her friends, fear for everyone – and it would all gather within and bind and paralyze her.

 

 

As Yuna instantly went on the offensive, time after time, Kairi hesitated, flinched, frightened, shied away, before mustering up the courage to join the clash. To try something and at least show the outside world she wasn't completely broken.

 

 

But that show couldn't be any further from the truth.

 

 

After dealing with yet another horde of Heartless – probably the fifth or sixth pack to show in the last twenty minutes – Yuna and Kairi took a small break to catch their breath and settle themselves. They might be on the right path, but there was still no telling how much longer they had till they found Megara.

 

 

Kairi was over in a corner and pacing back and forth, stuck in her own head, trying to relax herself and deal with the tumult of emotions that stormed through her heart, when Yuna asked her, “Kairi? Kairi, are you doing okay?”

 

 

“Hmm?” Kairi looked up, still lost in thought. “Did you say something?” Yuna repeated her question, to which Kairi replied by forcing herself to smile once more. “Why do you keep asking me that? The answer's the same, I'm fine Yuna. Totally, hundred percent, super-duper okay!” The redhead laughed slightly, trying to convince her friend. Trying to convince herself, too.

 

 

Yuna, however, had her doubts.

 

 

“Kairi... I know you're trying to put on a brave front for everyone, but it's okay to admit that you're not completely all right. It's okay to show fear and weakness, to ask for help from us. I think you'd be stronger for it.” Yuna told her friend in a gentle tone, eyes lit empathetically. The brunette was still trying to coax Kairi out, slowly and softly, as oppose to berating her, forcing her to open up. It would be better, this way, Yuna told herself.

 

 

Kairi flinched, as Yuna continued to peel away at her facade. “Well, whatever... even if I am distressed and afraid – and I'm not, I'm totally okay, remember – what good would it do to admit it? What would happen if I spilled my guts and broke down?” Kairi had done enough crying and trembling the past few days. She was sick of it. Even if it was just an act, she wanted to seem brave and strong to everyone around her, even if it meant bottling her feelings up to the point of bursting.

 

 

Yuna only response was to smile sadly and approach the Keyblade wielding girl. Kairi herself looked confused, as her companion strode over to her position, and the confusion only grew when Yuna suddenly threw her arms over her, pulling her into a tight, firm hug. Kairi once more felt her body bunch up and tighten within Yuna's embrace, before it all went slack and loose. Her muscles relaxed and she exhaled for the first time in what felt like a day. If Yuna wasn't holding on to her, Kairi was certain she would have collapsed then and there.

 

 

“I-I... Yuna... I don't know if I can keep doing this...” Tears did not fall from Kairi's eyes. Maybe she physically had cried enough over the past little while. That for the time being, she was physically incapable of crying even more. “I think I've lost whatever fire or confidence I've had, and I don't know if I can ever get it back.” Kairi took a shuddering breath, trying to settle herself. “I can't do this. I can't – I'm not Sora! Or Riku, or Paine, or you. I'm not strong enough!”

 

 

“You're wrong, Kairi.” Yuna soothed the girl, gently rubbing herb back as the redhead furiously vented in a distressing outburst. “You're wrong on so many counts. Your fighting spirit is never truly lost, you can find it again. You've already done so much to show how strong you truly are, defeat or failure or otherwise.” Yuna then pulled away slightly, making sure to lock eyes with Kairi. “And it doesn't matter that you're not us. Of course you're not. You're you. Remember what Paine said: Just be you.”

 

 

“Being me isn't good enough, though, we've seen that! And I can't just be a better me, I -”

 

 

Yuna shushed Kairi into silence, holding her tight again. “I know you can't see it right now Kairi. You can only see yourself in comparison to others, or can only see your failures, but trust me, one day, you'll see what the rest of us see. Beneath the fear and lack of self-confidence, there's power. True, scintillating, unwavering strength.

 

 

“I keep telling you that I have faith in you, and there is a reason for that. I'm not a fool who places her faith in just anyone.”

 

 

Kairi broke Yuna's grip, twisting and pushing away from brunette. “But I don't understand why you keep saying that! Why you keep your faith... I don't even believe you when you say that, Yuna!” Kairi ran her fingers through her hair and shied away once more, heading further down the path. “No one should have faith in me, because I'm not anyone's first choice. Hell, I'm the last choice! The only reason why I'm here is because we're all desperate and there's no other options. Sora's captured. Riku has vanished to god knows where. We're just stuck with me!”

 

 

Kairi's words echoed across the cavernous space, seemingly mocking her and confirming her fears and anxieties. The Princess of Heart breathed heavily, a ragged pace, as she looked to Yuna for a response. Looked towards her friend for something, either condemnation or alleviation, Kairi wasn't sure what she wanted out of Yuna.

 

 

Kairi wasn't sure what she wanted out of anything, anymore.

 

 

For her part, Yuna just patiently smiled at the girl and urged her to continue forward. “I hope you feel better after saying all that, Kairi, but we'll never solve our problems if we just stand around. You need to keep moving forward, to find those answers within you.”

 

 

Whenever Kairi shared her feeling with the Gullwings, it felt like they always presented solutions that sounded too easy to be true. “Just be you”, “Be better”, or “Keep moving forward”. It all sounded so simple, it couldn't possible be the case, could it? Was she just letting her fear and depression beating her, get the best of her, and prevent her from seeing the obvious solution?

 

 

Regardless, Kairi was beyond grateful at how patient everyone was acting. Thankful for Yuna's quiet grace and gentle manner, letting her vent and emote and release the storm that had been brewing within her. Thankful for her ability to discern the truth, and peer beyond Kairi's stubborn behaviour. When they had left Hollow Bastion, Kairi wasn't sure what to make of the Gullwings, but now, after only a little while, she was sure she couldn't have asked for better companions.

 

 

As the traveled further and further into the eerie darkness of the Underworld, they walked in silence and peace. No further Heartless attacks, for this little while, anyways. Kairi wanted to offer some show of gratitude towards Yuna during this period, a thank you or an apology or anything, but felt far too timid and nervous to do so. She was sure Yuna would just politely deflect anything she came up with, anyways.

 

 

So, with the in mind, Kairi went with a different line of attack.

 

 

“Yuna...” Kairi began with an unsteady voice, piercing the silence that cloaked the underground tunnels. Just a little bit ahead of them was the entrance way to another chamber, though they had no way of knowing if they were closing in on Megara or anything else. This entire journey had been blind. “Why exactly do you have such faith in me?” Yuna held a pair of fingers up to her lips.

 

 

“Well, Kairi. It has a lot to do with my past on Spira. When I was a Summoner on my Pilgrimage. You see-”

 

 

Yuna stopped when a figure emerged from the shadows beyond the next chamber.

 

 

A titanic, imposing figure, broadly built, with wide shoulders and a clearly muscular frame.

 

 

A figure wearing the black cloak of Organization XIII, hood up, obscuring their identity.

 

 

Kairi flinched, eyes as wide as the possibly could go, feeling her heart flutter and her whole body tremble. But, she still instinctively summoned Destiny's Embrace to her hand.

 

 

“We should turn back immediately. We're not prepared to handle this.” Yuna cautioned in a sotto voice. Kairi gulped and nodded along.

 

 

But, as soon as the two girls pivotted on their feet to run away, back the other direction, the enigmatic Nobody struck. They slammed their foot against the ground, causing earthen spires to erupt from the ground, barring Yuna and Kairi access to the route they just came from.

 

 

They were trapped, with no way to move on but through their gigantic foe.

 

 

The Nobody summoned their weapon – a black and red tomahawk that was larger than the entirety of Kairi, but which the Nobody wielded easily with one hand – and swung it in a through the air, before bringing it down against the ground, shattering a fair portion of the stone into a panoply of jagged edges. The Nobody withdrew the colossal axe from the indentation, holding it above his head, causing the loose stone to rise with it, dozens of razor sharp jagged stones hovering in the air.

 

 

As the girls turned back around to face their foe, the rocks flew through the air, all of them seeking and homing in on Kairi. Once more, the Key Bearer flinched, froze up, a deer in the headlights look versus the hail of projectiles.

 

 

Yuna, however, was more than able to react and counter. The gunslinger dove towards Kairi, tackling her to the ground, as the stone spears sailed overhead and spiked into the barricade behind them.

 

 

Yuna conjured up a barrier over the girls, to prevent any follow-up attack from scoring a hit, as well as giving them time to recover. “Kairi, I know this is soon, far too soon...” Yuna said in a hurried, slightly panicked voice, as she helped the redhead stand up. “But we're going to have to fight. If you don't feel like you're up to this, stay behind me and stay safe, understood?”

 

 

Kairi nodded dimly, but she only half-heard Yuna's warnings. Instead, there was a different question on her mind. Kairi turned to face her assailant, who was patiently waiting for the barrier to fall.

 

 

“You're not Saix or Luxord or any of the others.” She knew that much. The cloak obscured many things, but the body shape was way too different from any of the other Organization members she knew. “Who are you?” Kairi demanded.

 

 

To her surprise, the muscular, monstrous figure was hospitable to her request, doffing his hood to revel his face. Indeed, Kairi had never seen this Nobody before, a powerful looking male with extremely angular facial features, sharp cheekbones and nose, with a rigid, lantern jaw and chin. He had auburn hair that was partly slicked back, but sticking up in an array of messy spikes. Upon dropping the hood, he glared at Kairi, furrowing his heavy, thick brow.

 

 

“I am Lexaeus, Number V of Organization XIII. I have been brought back here personally by the Superior. My mission: to eliminate the Keyblade Master, you.”

 

 

Kairi and Lexaeus exchanged glares, cagily waiting for the other to make the first strike. A whirling storm of emotion rumbled within the heart of the Keyblade Wielder.

 

 

On the one hand, she could feel the terror well up in the back of her throat, as the sight of the black cloak conjured memories of her encounter with Xaldin. Her party, her companions – her friends! - falling one by one to the monster. The blood, the pain, the screams – all of it. Not helped by the fact that Xaldin was the reason why she was in such a funk. So down on herself and her abilities. Derived of confidence. Strangled by her fear.

 

 

But, on the other hand, the Organization was the source of all of her pain. Not just hers, so many people had suffered because of the Nobodies. Sora and Riku. Beast and Belle. The realization filled her with such rage and bile that it blinded her reason, clouded her judgement, and almost blocked out all of her fear. Despite her limited abilities – whether one looked at it objectively or through a biased lens – Kairi wanted nothing more than to attack the Nobody, to unleash everything she got and work out the anxiety within her. To get revenge for herself and for her friends.

 

 

And then there's what Yuna had been saying to her. To find the answer she was looking for, she needed to keep moving forward.

 

 

_Then let's take that first step._ Kairi told herself, trying to calm her frayed nerves. Anger and determination aside, she was still massively afraid. _Let's take a step right toward breaking this mountain down!_

 

 

Kairi coated the length of her blade with a a water spell, increasing it's durability and sharpness. The moment she charged, Lexaeus countered the motion by firing out another hail of stones. With the spell boosting her Keyblade's powers, Kairi was easily able to slice through the rocket bullets in with ease, one fluid slash severing the projectiles in half.

 

 

With her path cleared, and Yuna providing cover fire from the rear, Kairi jumped into the air, intending to sail over and crash down on the Nobody with all of her might. Lexaeus planted his feet and wheeled up his tomahawk. With such a clear discrepancy in size and power, Kairi was going to need every advantage she could muster and summon just to handle the titanic enemy.

 

 

Unfortunately, even diving from upon high was enough to close the gap, as Lexaeus easily managed to block Kairi's descending slash with his tomahawk. Now that she was up close, Kairi got a good sense of just how big Lexaeus was, and just how absurdly large his weapon was, too. Hell, it made her Keyblade look like some kiddy toy in comparison.

 

 

Blades still locked, and Kairi still airborne, the earth elemental easily repelled Kairi with a mighty swing, batting her away and sending the redhead flying, sailing across the room and crashing into the wall, before collapsing to the ground, gasping for air.

 

 

_That was such a stupid idea Kairi..._ She admonished herself, trying to ignore the throbbing sensation in her ribs and spine. _Even if I were at a hundred percent, there's no way I could go toe-to-toe with a literal giant..._

 

 

Yuna rushed over to the downed Key Bearer, standing guard as Lexaeus prepared for her next attack.

 

 

“Unlike some of my cohorts, I take no pleasure in inflicting grievous harm. I have no drive or desire to play with my food.” Lexaeus once more held his weapon above his head, as his entire body rippled and glowed with violent and fierce red and black energy. “My power is pure and absolute! I'll finish the two of you quickly.”

 

 

The Nobody slammed his weapon down onto the earth once more, hammering the ground, and causing the entirety of the cavern passage to shake and tremble. From the impact point, the earth splintered and fissured, deep cracks forming and spreading all along the floor, up the walls, and to the ceiling. Before long, gigantic chunks of rock began to fall from the ceiling and break off from the walls, plummeting to the earth and flattening everything in their path.

 

 

Very quickly, Yuna and Kairi grasped the danger they were in. Lexaeus was trying to bury them alive!

 

 

Yuna threw up another barrier spell to protect them from the stony rain, while Kairi scrabbled along the ground, trying to seek out an escape route. Her survival instincts had fully taken over, shunting every other feeling to the back of her brain.

 

 

The path that she and Yuna had used to come this far was currently blocked off by the spires Lexaeus created earlier. The entrance ahead of them was clear... save for the fact that the zone between the two spaces was currently a falling boulder deathtrap. Not to mention Lexaeus, who was slowly and methodically approaching the two girls, not content on letting his rock slide do all the work.

 

 

Kairi both stared down the colossal Nobody, and looked passed him, looking further down the path, towards the exit. Towards safety. Sure, Lexaeus seemed big and strong, but he certainly couldn't be that quick. If she and Yuna were light on their feet, they could circle around him, dodge the rocks, break free towards the next portion of the cavern, and then...

 

 

_And then what?_

 

 

Even if they managed to evade their assailant, the rocks would continue to fall, surely blocking off this room from the rest of the path. Kairi and Yuna would be trapped on the other side, with no way of making it back to the Underdrome. Hercules and Paine and Rikku would be forced to fend for themselves in the remainder of the tournament. She might not be able to return to her mission, forever sealed within the depths of the Underworld. But if they did retreat, they would do so empty handed. Without Megara. And who knows what had happened to her, what would happen to her if someone did arrive to rescue her...

 

 

Kairi looked over at Yuna, the whole of the brunette mage's body was trembling with the effort of blocking the cascading stones, rivulets of sweat drenching her forehead and neck. She wasn't going to last much longer.

 

 

_Decision Time, Kairi. Now or never._ She told herself, as her eyes flitted between the two exits and the lumbering form of Lexaeus.

 

 

“Yuna, please hold on for just a little while longer.” Kairi told her friend, taking up her Keyblade... and turning to face the path they had come from – the path choked up and marred by stalagmites. Kairi fired out a series of blizzard spells, not chunks of ice but instead in the form magical bursts of frigid cold energy. Even in her rapid fire pace, the Key Bearer took care to hit as many spires as possible, to cover as much ground as possible, her magical blasts freezing anything they touched, coating the earth in a thick layer of ice.

 

 

“You will not escape me, girl!” Lexaeus bellowed from behind. “I will finish this, here and now!” The energy around the Nobody surged again, consuming all other illumination in the room, rendering everything in stark red-and-black shadows. Lexaeus himself seemed to sink and descend into the earth, the ground warping and splintering at his feet, as more fault lines began to form and spread through the room, the already existing ones widening and deepening.

 

 

The tremors worsened.

 

 

Yuna struggled and strained under the mounting pressure.

 

 

Lexaeus continued his advances, slowly and surely.

 

 

Kairi gnashed her teeth, as she sidestepped away to avoid more falling debris, her face the very picture of defiance and determination. “No! I won't let this happen. No one else is falling under my watch!” The tip of Destiny's Embrace lit up with arcane flame, as the girl hurled it underhand, the Keyblade spinning through the air, tumbling like a wheel, as the fire spread and covered the entirety of the weapon. The blazing discus streaked down the passage, flame and metal carving their way through the frozen stone, clearing a route for her and Yuna's escape.

 

 

“Yes! Come on, Yuna, we gotta hurry!”

 

 

Kairi seized her friend by the wrist and forcibly pulled her from her position, dispelling her barrier. Almost the entirety of the room was covered in debris and fallen stone, with more yet to come, forcing the girls to take very careful, gingerly steps over top the rocks, while also avoiding more and more of the rock slide.

 

 

“I told you there would be no escape!”

 

 

Looking over her shoulder, Kairi saw the hulking Nobody wind up, massive tomahawk held behind his back, before hurling the weapon. Despite it's huge bulk and size – and utter lack of a general aerodynamic shape – the weapon arced through the air at frightening speed, coming right for Kairi. Given it's weight, and Lexaeus's strength, she would surely be crushed if that made impact...

 

 

Kairi twisted her body, stood her ground, ready to try and deflect or block the attack or, failing that, use a spell to launch herself out of the way. Something. Anything to protect herself. Yuna had a different plan in mind.

 

 

Pushing the redhead back, Yuna took up her fighting stance, shotstaff held up in both hands, clearly ready to conjure another shield, despite the effort maintaining the last one took. It was all too evident that the magic gunslinger still hadn't fully recovered herself from the previous spell, but here she was, ready to protect and defend to the best of her abilities, again.

 

 

Throwing herself into the line of fire, instead of Kairi, again.

 

 

The Keyblade Warrior wanted to scream out in protest, but there was no time. The whirling dervish of death was right upon them.

 

 

Yuna summoned a barrier and braced herself for impact.

 

 

Suddenly, without warning, a red blur appeared from behind Lexaeus, racing across the room, darting across the rubble that had gathered across the ground, and easily traversing it's way through the length of the chamber. The blur settled and appeared before the girls, standing in between them and the spinning tomahawk – it was an older man with greying black hair, a singular scar running down his right eye, and dressed in a blood red _haori_ robe, while wielding and overly-large, single edged _zanbato_ sword.

 

 

With a single, titanic blow, the mysterious swordsman blocked and parried the thrown weapon, matching it's strength and weight and easily deflecting it, sending the weapon flying upwards into the ruined ceiling. Lexaeus glared at the intruder, while a Yuna was overtaken with an expression of shocked recognition.

 

 

“Impossible...”

 

 

However, sending the huge axe into the ceiling caused the rock slide to intensify and worsen even more, as the roof of the cavern and the paths beyond it began to breakdown and collapse, hastening the rock slide and destruction.

 

 

The stranger spared Yuna and Kairi a glance, revealing his hard, stern, rugged visage (Kairi could also see that he kept his left arm bent in the front portion of his robe, holding it up as if it were in a sling) before kicking Yuna in the stomach, sending her flying backward, bowling into Kairi, delivering the two out of the chamber and back the way they came.

 

 

The two tumbled to the ground, disentangling themselves as they rolled across the jagged and rough stone floor, more and more stones plummeting from the ruined roof. The entrance to the chamber that contained Lexaeus completely caved-in, barring the two from a return visit.

 

 

Despite all this, Yuna quickly gathered herself, standing back up, and rushing towards the sealed entrance, oblivious to the danger that was raining down around her. “Wait! Auron!”

 

 

“Yuna!” Kairi cried in turn, running after her friend, all too aware of the danger that they were in.

 

 

With a thunderous _CRACK_ , a large portion of the ceiling broke away in the form of large, jagged stones, cascading down all over the area but, more importantly, right over top Yuna and where she was running to.

 

 

Thinking quicker than she ever had, Kairi created a stream of water from the tip of her Keyblade, flinging out towards Yuna. The lash snaked it's way towards her companion, wrapping around her midsection. Both hands on it's hilt, Kairi yanked back on her Keyblade with all the might her body could summon, reeling in the older girl.

 

 

Not expecting to be fished away in such a manner, Yuna offered no resistance to Kairi's makeshift whip, pulled through the air, and, once more, having her body collide with Kairi's, the two girls knocking each other over once more.

 

 

The stones continued to fall, as Kairi re-positioned herself, throwing Yuna to the ground, and covering the brunette with her own body, before throwing up a shimmering dome of light.

 

 

A tide of earth crashed down along the ground, burying everything and everyone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there's actually a whole lot happening in this chapter. We touched base with all three of our heroes and... yeah, it ain't going well for any of them for the time being.
> 
>  
> 
> -So, even though I don't really like the Organization and would prefer if they just went away forever, I am stuck with them regarding this story. That being the card I have been dealt, I will play it as strongly as possible. I find the use of the Organization members in both II and III very lackluster, with the Organization basically vanishing from the second half of the game in II, while in III, they just sort of pop in to trash talk Sora for a bit, before going away, not really having any impact on the game until the end. Because having your villains have no active role in the majority of the plot makes for engaging storytelling...?
> 
>  
> 
> Well, forget all that. This story will give them the presence they should have as the main villains, with (I believe) Twilight Town being the only “full” world Kairi visits that they do not appear and confront her on. But, wait, “Lexaeus is dead” you say. And that is correct. So, stay tuned for the answer to that one...
> 
>  
> 
> Beyond that, and all our surprising appearances this time around, please, tell me what you think, everyone! All input and thoughts are welcomed. More than welcomed! Because I am an incomplete being, much like a Nobody, where my heart is replaced by an empty void, all-consuming, that can only be filled by the validation of others.
> 
>  
> 
> ....
> 
>  
> 
> Bye, everyone!
> 
>  
> 
> Until next time, let the light guide your path forward.


	11. Heroic Heart

**She Will Light The Way  
** **Chapter Eleven  
** **Heroic Heart**

 

 

The stillness of the earth was broken and ruptured, a torrent of water and wind bursting through, sweeping away their elemental brethren.

 

 

With desperate gasps for air, Kairi and Yuna crawled their way out of the imprisoning heap of stone and rock, thankful to be free and alive. The two of them were exhausted and filthy, hair and skin and clothes stained with dirt, but otherwise they were okay. Kairi's Reflect spell had held up long enough for them to dig their way out.

 

 

“Well, I don't think we'll be advancing any further.” Yuna's voice contained a mix of relief and levity, trying to lighten the weight of yet another near-death experience for the two. She gave the pile of rubble a couple of firm pushed, but there was no give. It now took up a good twelve-feet of floor space, piled up higher than both the girl's standing heights, they would have to spend hours digging through the debris to make any further headway. “But at least this should hold off that Organization member. We should be safe, for the time being at least.”

 

 

Kairi only mumbled an unheard response. The girl was currently crouching off to the side, breathing heavily once more. She look shook. Exhausted. The spell had drained her, for sure, but another close brush with the black cloak of death hadn't done her frayed psyche any good, either.

 

 

“For what it's worth,” Yuna began, approaching her crestfallen companion, “I know you're still unsure about yourself and what to do, how to reignite your heroic spark... but I thought you performed admirably back there.” When Yuna placed her hand on Kairi's shoulder, the redhead looked up and back, meeting Yuna's proud, warm, encouraging smile. “You charged forward and fought despite your fear. In fact, you tackled your fear head on.”

 

 

“Oh... yeah, that...” Kairi shook her head, dismissive towards her own actions. “That really wasn't me. I just remembered what happened when we fought Xaldin... just felt all this anger and hatred burning inside me, and it took control.” Kairi ran a hand through her crimson locks, batting away some dust and grime. “I just didn't want anyone to get hurt again...”

 

 

“Even if you did give in to anger, even if you don't think that was your conscious decision...” Judging by Yuna's tone, it was clear she didn't believe in Kairi's assessment, but didn't press the issue, “It doesn't take away from your other choices. You were the one who decided you couldn't take him on, and that we needed to retreat. You were the one who created a path for us to escape. And you're the reason why we survived that avalanche – you finally mastered Reflect! At long last, I knew you could do it!” Clearly proud with her efforts, Yuna affectionately patted Kairi on the back. “Your instincts are still strong, you're just letting despair cloud your heart and mind. If you keep moving forward, you'll get back what you feel you have lost.”

 

 

Kairi stood back up, knocking off the dust that had settled on the tails of her coat-dress, but otherwise remained silent. For a moment, the girl just busied herself cleaning herself and making sure she wasn't too banged up, but also consciously avoiding eye contact with her companion. Yuna only looked on hopefully, still intent on giving the Key Bearer her space when necessary. However, after an eternity of fiddling and smoothing and wringing and cleaning and just general busywork, Kairi finally turned to face her friend. Her eyes were still heavy with doubt and sadness.

 

 

“Yuna, you never did finish what I had asked back then. Why do you have such faith in me? Could you please tell me now?” Yuna nodded.

 

 

“Absolutely.” She gestured to the ground, the brunette sitting in lotus position, where Kairi knelt down on both her knees, staring intently at Yuna, as the dual-eyed girl began.

 

 

“Spira, my homeworld, was a world of strife and misery. A monster known as Sin terrorized the entirety of the world, wreaking havoc to it's land and it's people. Throughout the years, million of lives were taken because of Sin, and there seemed to be no way to permanently stop it.” Yuna stopped herself, eyes shut, and sighed, offering remembrance to the fallen. “You see, it was the duty of powerful mages known as Summoners to defeat Sin. Summoners would travel the world, earning the blessings of beings called Aeons, in a bid to build their strength so they could confront Sin with the sacred, holy power known as the Final Aeon. But, no matter what, time after time, Sin was never truly defeated. It never could be fully defeated, it was said. No matter which Summoner confronted the beast, Sin would inevitably return.

 

 

“I was a Summoner. As was my father before me.

 

 

“When I completed my training, and left for the beginning of my journey, I was seventeen, and joined by my companions. Rikku and Paine were there, as were our friends, Lulu, Kimahri, and Auron.” An amused smile formed on Yuna's lip, as a laugh escaped between them. “We were... a ragtag group, at best. Just one of many – a Summoner and her entourage – trying to conquer the Pilgrimage and bring a temporary peace back to Spira. But, no matter how strange a party we might have been, they were my friends. I loved each and every one of them, and would never have gotten anywhere without their support.”

 

 

Kairi shied back slightly, eyes darting away from the brunette storyteller. It seemed that history was repeating itself – Rikku and Paine once more accompanying a teenage heroine on her quest to save the world, and now, Yuna found herself as a mentor instead of the heroine. She felt both kinship with Yuna, and also shame. Shame that Yuna had been in her shoes and probably never broke like her.

 

 

_She must secretly think I'm so weak and worthless._ Kairi thought, Yuna offering no hint as to her true feelings.

 

 

As Kairi eyes fell upon her again, the gunslinger continued to recite her tale.

 

 

“As we went upon our quest, we suffered losses and came to know victory, but we also learned three horrid truths about our world, hidden away from the light of day.

 

 

“One: To create the Final Aeon, the Summoner had to sacrifice someone close to them.

 

 

“Two: Summoning the Final Aeon would also result in the death of the Summoner themselves.

 

 

“Three: Upon being vanquished, Sin would hijack the Aeon and use it to create a new body, further perpetuating the cycle of death and despair that consumed Spira.

 

 

“For days, we argued as to what to do. At first, I thought I was fine with giving my life, even if it only meant a few years of peace and calm... but that was just a lie I told myself. My father had bested Sin, but the pain of his absence never left, the respite her created was so fleeting and fragile. We all resolved to find another way to defeat Sin, a way to permanently defeat it, and rebelled and revolted against the church that controlled Spira. We were branded as enemies of the world, and forced to fend for ourselves.”

 

 

Yuna paused and chewed on her lip, pouring over her her choice of words, a shadow falling upon her face. Certainly, it must have been painful for her, to draw up memories such as these.

 

 

Kairi interjected, “Yuna, that's enough, you don't need to-”

 

 

“Those days were hard. Incredibly hard. Despite everything I had done, I felt powerless. Weak. Worthless.” The breath froze in Kairi's throat. Those words resonated all too true with her. “I had no idea what to do, how to fight, how to progress. I wanted to keep fighting and help, but I didn't know how.”

 

 

Yuna sighed, despondently, eyes cast downward.

 

 

“I was so afraid and terrified. I felt like my heart was being clutched in the icy hands of some fiend, and that it would never be free. That this feeling would drown and suffocate me, and that would be the end.”

 

 

Kairi was trying her hardest to stop herself from trembling. This confession was all too raw, all too real. It tore away and her and rendered her as vulnerable as possible. And yet, it was hard to believe that the normally calm, collected, and reserved Yuna could ever had felt the same way as her. That she knew exactly what it was she was going through.

 

 

_Probably, she felt she could never fill her father's shoes. That she failed to measure up to him. Yuna probably compared herself to him all the time. Just like how I compare myself to Sora...._

 

 

Yuna raised her head, that reassuring and comforting smile returning to her countenance.

 

 

“But all of my Guardians kept pushing me forward. They saw something buried deep within me that I would never have realized on my own. When I couldn't believe in anything, they always kept their faith in me. They urged me to never stop. They kept me going. And, together, in the end, the six of us found a way to finally defeat Sin once and for all, freeing Spira from the shadow of death.”

 

 

Yuna made subtle motions that she had finished her story, as Kairi sat in contemplative silence, parsing the details of the tail she had just been told. While, certainly, it framed all three of the Gullwings in a new light – they were great heroes in their own right – and Kairi could now better understand why Yuna showed such patience and empathy with her, the redhead wasn't completely satisfied.

 

 

“Well, Yuna, thank you for telling me all that, I'm sure it must be painful reliving some of those memories, but, I feel like my question hasn't been completely answered yet...” Yuna nodded and then shifted herself across the earthen ground, so that she was sitting next to Kairi. The brunette pulled her doubting friend into her arms, into a kind embrace.

 

 

“What I'm trying to get at, Kairi, is that I know exactly where you're coming from. I know what it's like to be in your shoes, and to experience what it is you're feeling.”  
  
  
“And I'm sorry, Yuna. I'm sorry that you have to deal with someone like me, who failed to do what you-”

 

 

“Kairi!”

 

 

Shaking the girl roughly, Yuna managed to silence another one of Kairi's disparaging tirades, and forced the Key Bearer to look at her. “Kairi, I know what it's like to be in your position, and I know – in the heart of my hearts – that I never would have gotten anywhere without Paine or Rikku. Without Lulu or Auron or Kimahri backing me every step of the way. No matter what happened, no matter how much doubt took hold of my heart, the five of them always maintained their faith in me. And it took me a while to realize it, it took me even longer to understand why exactly, but their faith kept driving me forward, even in the darkest of days!

 

 

“I know that you find it hard to keep faith in yourself at the moment, but I just don't want you to believe in me, or Paine, or Sora in place of that. What I want you to do – what you need to do – is to remember, always remember, that we all have faith in you and your abilities.”

 

 

For some reason, this caused Kairi to burst out in a random shout of laughter, leaving poor Yuna hopelessly confused.

 

 

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin the mood. It's just...” Kairi paused, fondly reflecting upon the memories forming in her mind's eye. “When we were, like, twelve or thirteen, Sora was obsessed with this one show, something with giant robots, I don't know, but he would quote it incessantly. Like, literally, all the time. And one thing he would always quote was a speech someone would tell the main character when he doubted himself: 'If you can't believe in yourself, that's fine, but don't believe in me, either. Believe in the me who believes in you'.” Kairi gave Yuna a look, trying to compose herself, but felt a silly smile break out. “Something like that, right?”

 

 

Yuna sighed and chuckled, as well. “Yes. I guess you could say it that way.” Yuna stood back up, looking down at Kairi, and offering a hand. More than a hand, a second chance. A chance to pick herself up and start again. To move forward and fight.

 

 

Like Yuna had all those years ago.

 

 

“Don't believe in Sora, Kairi. Believe in the Sora that has faith in you. And we both know that, if he were here, if he knew what you were doing, he would have absolute and unshakable faith in you.”

 

 

_I think you're right, Yuna._

 

 

Kairi took that chance, letting Yuna bring her back to her feet, too. But even then, after all that, Kairi couldn't help but feel some misgivings.

 

 

“But, again, is it really all that easy? Just to say these things and then start again? What happens if I fail again? What happens if I screw up and someone else gets hurt?”

 

 

“It isn't that easy, Kairi, because nothing is guaranteed.” Yuna's said, softly and gently. “There is no guarantee that you'll always win or find success. We're fighting with our backs against the wall, against powerful foes, faced with a monumental task. We're bound to fail at times. People will get hurt. These are things we can't help.”

 

 

Kairi felt her eye twitch involuntarily, as the nightmarish memories of the events on Beast's Castle replayed in the back of her mind.

 

 

“But, we can do what we can to minimize these casualties.” Yuna's voice wavered slightly, as she spoke. Now that Kairi knew Yuna's story, she was probably also reliving pass failures and losses, dredging up pain and sadness from the depths of her heart. “And if we were to just give up, even more people would end up getting hurt. The measure of a hero, of a warrior, of a person, is their heart, and their ability to keep fighting even after tragedy. Even in the face of immeasurable odds.

 

 

“And, the most important thing to remember is this: Kairi, this is your story, and it only ends when and where you want it to end.”

 

 

_Yuna knows this, because Yuna has done this. The two of us our kindred spirits._ Kairi felt oddly warm and proud when she thought that.

 

 

“We should get going. I feel bad coming back empty-handed, but Paine, and Rikku, and Hercules will need our help in the finals.”

 

 

“But what about the Blackheart Stone?” Kairi asked. “Shouldn't we at least take another look around for that?” Yuna suddenly looked incredibly sheepish. “What is it?”

 

 

“Well... I sort of lied about that. There is no Blackheart Stone on this world.” Yuna admitted, deeply bowing for deceiving her friend. “I just thought coming to this world would help you get through this funk, not thinking the hero of Olympus would also be having similar issues. And now we've been caught up in all this mess...”

 

 

_You really did all this just for me?_ Kairi smiled graciously. “It's okay, Yuna. And thank you, for everything.”

 

 

_I really am blessed to have you at my side._

 

 

And so the two girls retraced their tracks, back up the haunted halls of the Underworld and to the origin of their journey, Kairi reflecting on everything that had happened in the short while. On Yuna's story, her past, her words.

 

 

“Is what you told me really true, Yuna? That you have that much faith in me?” Kairi asked, after another prolong bout of silence. Yuna just shook her head and laughed to herself.

 

 

“After all that and you still doubt me?” Kairi flushed scarlet in embarrassment, but Yuna continued on. “When I first met you, when we had our first mission of Twilight Town, I thought to myself, 'She's like me. It may take some time, but she'll turn out just like me'. But I think I was wrong in my estimation.” Yuna turned to face her friend and compatriot with an appraising look. “Now, I think, if you can beat this, you have the potential to be greater than I ever could hope to be.”

 

 

Kairi's blush deepened and burned, as she felt her shoulders stiffen. Even when in a regular headspace, the girl was never really comfortable with people heaping such high praise on her.

 

 

Pushing beyond the uncomfortable feeling, Kairi had one last question to ask.

 

 

“Say, that guy who saved us from the Org member, you seemed to recognize him. Do you know him, Yuna?”

 

 

Now it was Yuna's turn to awkwardly lock up. “That.... No. Auron died many years ago. I must be mistaken. There's no way it could be him.”

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Kairi and Yuna move at doubletime back through the Underworld. Evidently, that was the correct decision, for when they returned to the waiting area, they found Rikku, Paine, and Hercules already boarded the small boat that ferried the team across the River Styx, to and from the Underdrome.

 

 

“Hey! Hey! Hey! Hold up! The rest of our team's back!” Rikku exclaimed when she caught sight of the two, frantically kicking at the imps that were about to push them away from the small dock.

 

 

Both Paine and Hercules gave the two a once over, clearly noting the absence of anyone or anything else. Hercules looked crushed, which caused a pang of guilty to echo in Kairi's heart.

 

 

“I take it you didn't have any luck finding her?” Paine asked, as both Yuna and Kairi clambered over the edge into the small ferry.

 

 

Yuna shook her head and grimaced. “Obviously, no. Worse yet, we ran into an Organization member down there.” Rikku's complexion paled, while Paine silently snarled. “He tried to bury us alive, but we at least manage to give him the slip.”

 

 

“I'm sorry Herc.” Kairi apologized, bowing her head in contrition, but the Demigod politely dismissed her concerns.

 

 

“It's okay, Kairi. You tried your best, that's all that matters in the end. Let's just get this over with.”

 

 

The little dingy pushed away from the dock, the undead ferry men oaring the party of five across the dark, cursed river. As this happened, Yuna turned to her two longtime companions.

 

 

“How did things go on this end?”

 

 

“Easy peasey, Cactuar squeezey, Yunie.” Came Rikku's cheery reply, a little too cheery considering their current circumstances.

 

 

“It went fine.” Paine said, more straightforward and blunt. Looking over her shoulder at Herc and Kairi, the dark woman then added in a hushed voice, “The big guys is still in a slump, though. We basically had to carry him over the finish line, glad to have you back.” Paine then gestured her head at Kairi, still talking under her breath. “How is she holding up?”

 

 

“Better...?” Yuna sounded unsure, which didn't earn her any approving looks from Paine. “I think we've hit a major breakthrough, and I'm optimistic, but it's hard to say what's the truth until she gets into another fight.” The brunette sighed and shook her head. “We almost died, again, down there. These Organization members are terrifyingly strong. If we ever hope to match against them, then we need to do something, and fast.”

 

 

That earned a derisive snort from Paine. “This is beginning to sound like more trouble than it's worth. Why exactly did we agree to this mission again?”

 

 

“'Cause we got caught and were press-ganged into it!” Rikku interjected, leaning into the space in between her two teammates. Once more, Paine snorted, as their boat reached the other side of the river, docking outside the Underdrome.

 

 

“Be that as it may, I still think this is something worth doing.” Yuna's pivoted herself, her eyes falling on Kairi, but seeing beyond the Key Bearer. Seeing her triumphs and fears, her victories and desires, and everything she could potentially become.

 

 

But, Yuna didn't have much time to dream and pray and hope, as the group was once more led through the haunted, definitely unhallowed halls of the Underdrome, quickly ushered into the ring without any sense of pomp or circumstance, where they awaited their opponent for this final match of the Kronus Kup.

 

 

Clearly Hades was in a rush to get this entire affair over and done with, so he could have more time to gloat about his accomplishment and victory.

 

 

In another burst of brimstone and flame, the God of the Dead appeared in the center of the ring, possessing a look of smug self-satisfaction.

 

 

“Alright, alright, alright, looks like all the pieces are in their places. Let's get this show on the road, folks!” Hades wiggled his fingers in anticipation as he leered in the direction of the heroes that stood between him and ultimate victory.

 

 

A pillar of brilliant flame erupted all around Hades' body, illuminating the dank and dark arena. Normally such a spectacle would draw a round of cheers from the audience, but the interior of the Underdrome was as empty and dead as a stadium held within the Underworld would imply. The roar and crackle of the fire was met with deafening silence, but the Lord and Master of the Dead was not the least bit deterred by the lack of an audience. Hades cackled and raised his voice, along with his arms, as the flames abated.

 

 

“Ladies and gentlemen and others, of all maladies and causes of death, welcome to your _MAIIIIN EVENT_!!!

 

 

“Facing off, for the final fate of both the Coliseum and the Underdrome, is yours truly, your host and the ultimate life of the party – _HADES, THE LORD OF THE DEAD_!!!” Hades raised his voice, causing it to echo and ring off the yawning and vast space of the derelict and disused arena. “And my opponents for the evening, none other than everyone's hero – _don't we all just love him!?_ \- and the reigning Coliseum, Hercules.” By comparison, Hades' introduction to his opponent was much less spirited and raucous, but even that was nothing next to his next vocalization. “Oh, and he's accompanied by some girls, yadda yadda yadda, who cares?”

 

 

“'Some girls'?” Rikku repeated, offended. By this point, her and the other Gullwings had their weapons drawn. “I both resemble and resent that!”

 

 

“Getting really sick of this. Is everyone on this world gonna make some sort of garbage comment about us?” Paine muttered in an annoyed tone, tilting her head to one side.

 

 

“Are you two ready for this?” Yuna asked, directed towards Kairi and Hercules.

 

 

The two heartbroken heroes took on a look of introspection, chewing and parsing on the question. Eventually, Kairi took on a hardened gaze, manifesting Destiny's Embrace.

 

 

“I'm going to give it my all, guys. I'll try my absolute best, for all of you.”

 

 

Hercules, however, didn't share that same level of confidence. Something that did not escape Hades' notice.

 

 

“Hey, hey, what's the matter little nephew?” The chatty Deity slithered his way across the arena floor, getting right into the face of his opponents. “You're looking a little down. Not really befitting of a 'true hero' now, is it?”

 

 

“Enough talk, Hades!” Hercules called back, defiantly, trying to, more, present a confident front.

 

 

“I agree, I'm already sick of hearing you yak on.” Kairi snapped, striking up a fighting pose. “Let's get on with it!”

 

 

Hades held up his hands in faux-mercy, backing away from the heroes. “Hey, hey, don't be so snappy, Key Girl, I'm just try to help good ol' Hercules there.” With a snap of his fingers, and a sly grin, Hades pointed at the Demigod, while a portcullis in the background began to slowly rise. “And I know exactly what's ailing you – you went and lost your little girlfriend. Bad place to lose her, you know, lots of shady types running around down here.”

 

 

Rikku cried out. “You would know, wouldn't ya, you lowlife!”

 

 

“So how 'bout, I do you a favour, Wonderboy? Lemme show ya where your little Nutmeg scurried off to!”

 

 

With a big, dramatic swoop of his arms, Hades gestured to the rising gate behind him, which was slowly revealing a figure hanging precariously above the waters of the River Styx, bound and held up by swirling rings of smoke and ash.

 

 

“Meg!”

 

 

Indeed, Megara was the person held captive by Hades, who was smiling maliciously at his sudden reveal, reveling in the distress plainly scored on the faces of both Hercules and Meg.

 

 

Hercules brought his fists up and stomped forward, ready to deliver justice unto the evil Deity before him. “Hades! Of all the low-down tricks you've pulled, this is-”

 

 

“Save me the speech, okay? I've heard it all before!” Hades interrupted, holding a hand out, his temper and his flame flaring up, both literally and figuratively. “But I am done playing. I am winning! Today, I will be the winner, and you will be the loser! So here is what we're gonna do, I'm offering you a choice – you can either give up and forfeit and let me win, condemning the Coliseum up there to be closed down forever and ever or... you let your girlfriend take a dunk in the River Styx, condemning her to a fate worse than death! And if anyone of you,” Hades glared at Kairi and the Gullwings, “Move so much as an inch, she drops.

 

 

“Ticktock, Wonderboy, the pressure's on!”

 

 

Hercules looks deeply shocked and conflicted by the choice presented to him. Kairi wanted to offer some kind of support to him, but was unsure of what to do. Unsure of what she could say to make this better. Hell, unsure of what decision here was the “right” one.

 

 

_There isn't a right choice, this is all just a sadistic game for Hades' enjoyment._

 

 

“Hercules, don't worry about me, just let me go and keep on fighting.” Megara pleaded from her bindings, seeing the agony etched on the face of her lover. “You have to keep fighting, not just for me, but for everyone.”

 

 

Clenching his hand into a fist, his very being trembling and quaking under the pressure, Hercules grimaced and relented. “You're right, Meg...” He admitted, in a quiet, solemn voice. “I'm sorry, but... Hades, there's no way I'm quitting. Not now, not ever.”

 

 

For his part, the Lord of the Dead actually looked a little surprised that Hercules had come to this decision.

 

 

“Very well. Have it you way.”

 

 

With a snap of his fingers, Megara's bindings vanished. She screamed as she plunged through the air, dropping towards the river.

 

 

“...But I'm also not going to quit on Meg, either!”

 

 

Bursting out into a full sprint, Hercules blew past Hades towards the edge of the arena, before leaping off, diving through the opening in the wall, and right after Meg, both of them hurtling toward the foul waters below.

 

 

A loud _SPLASH_ resounded through the room, as Kairi's heart dropped. Had she really just sat by and watched as she lost another set of Sora's friends? Were more people suffering because of her inaction?

 

 

“Oh, poor stupid, predictable, stupid, dumb Hercules!” Hades wailed, “lamenting” the demise of his nephew, a hand draped over his forehead. “Little lesson for the rest of you, when given the choice between the world or the damsel, never ever choose the damsel. It's a sucker's choice.”

 

 

Kairi dropped her Keyblade, as she felt her heart sink into the abyss even further, pain radiating from the void.

 

 

_Sora chose me.... Between all the worlds and me, he chose me...._

 

 

Kairi fell to one knee, clutching at her heart, as agony coursed through her body.

 

 

_Did Sora choose wrong?_

 

 

“SHUT UP!” Kairi bellowed, choking on her words, forcing pass the pain and spewing anger at the preening villain. “You don't know anything! You're just some monster who plays with other people's hearts for his own sick, twisted pleasure!”

 

 

_I have to fight back here, otherwise, I'm admitting I'm just a burden. That Sora chose wrong and gave himself up for nothing..._   
  


 

“Well, that's just your opinion, missy...” Now with Hercules out of the way, the Lord of the Dead could grant all of his attention towards the Key Bearer and her companions. “But if you're all too eager to tussle, by all mean, show me what ya got!” Fire sprang into life around Hades, blazing torches consuming his hands. “I would much prefer to finally do away with that spikey-haired nimrod who's always thwarting my plans, but hey, I'll settle for swatting any upstart Key slinging punk!”

 

 

Kairi retrieved her weapon and stood up, ready for a fight, as the Gullwings took position around her.

 

 

“You know, I was much more optimistic about facing off with a God when we actually had a divine presence of our own.” Paine noted, eyes steely.

 

 

“Hey, we went up against Sin and Yu Yevon, and that turned out fine, didn't it?” Rikku brought up, earning a scoff from her friend.

 

 

“Thanks for bringing up those pleasant memories.”

 

 

“It doesn't matter how hard a challenge it is, we'll overcome. The four of us won't back down.” Yuna countered, looking over at Kairi.

 

 

“Oh, that's cute. Just adorable.” Hades chuckled darkly. “You think you have a chance? You have nothing! All of you are nothing! You have no God, no hero, no hope. Just give up!”

 

 

“You're wrong Hades!” Kairi slashed her blade through the air, before leveling and pointing it and the deranged Deity. “We've got a hero, right here!” Kairi declared, free hand held at her heart. She might not be one by choice. She may not be the most skilled, the most experienced, or the most confident, but Kairi was ready to take back the mantle of hero.

 

 

Because she had to.

 

 

Because everyone had placed their faith behind her.

 

 

Because if Yuna could do this, then she could do it too.

 

 

“Oh, don't make me laugh, princess! You? A hero? That's the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard!”

 

 

“She's right, Hades. And, as usual, you're dead wrong.”

 

 

A bright blast of golden energy rose up, emerging from the depths of the Stygian abyss beneath the Underdrome, illuminating it's dank confines in holy, blessed light.

 

 

When the light receded, it's source was revealed: Hercules, standing on a platform beyond the arena's edge, carrying Megara in his arms, both of them bathed in a luminescent aura and completely unscathed.

 

 

Kairi was beyond relieved to see the two were okay, while Rikku and Yuna whooped and cheered in delight at the turn around.

 

 

Hades, meanwhile, was furious. Steamed. Enraged. Beyond apoplectic. His skin had turned a burnished orange, the flame capping his head becoming a roaring, red torch, while his eyes bulged out of their sockets, veins in his forehead pulsing and twitching, looking like worms about to burst out from beneath the burning skin of the God.

 

 

“Impossible! _Unbelievable_! _INCONCEIVABLE_!”

 

 

With a mighty leap, Hercules sailed over the gap between arena and outer wall, landing on the half of the platform with Kairi and the others. The heroic Demigod was smiling, brightly and confidently, seemingly surrounded in a warm nimbus that energized and emboldened those about him.

 

 

“I suppose I owe you for this, Hades.” Herc said, as he gently placed Meg back on the ground. “Even with all the pressure weighing me down, even with all the fatigue and exhaustion, when it the moment came, I didn't hesitate to give up my life to save Meg's. And that's when I remembered: The true measure of a hero is the strength of their heart. No matter how beaten down I get, my heart will always keep true and strong.” Hercules then turned to Kairi, flashing her a knowing look. “Just like Sora, and just like Kairi here. Their hearts are as strong as any, they have the makings of being great heroes.”

 

 

Kairi rubbed her neck awkwardly at the praise, shying away from the revived Hercules. But, all the same, some of his words resonated deep within her. _Yuna said the same thing, didn't she? A hero or a person, their true strength is measured from their heart._

 

 

Come to think of it, despite her dismissive attitude, she had found herself repeatedly jumping into action, despite her depression. Against Lexaeus, when she and Yuna were threatened. Just now, against Hades, when it looked liked Herc and Meg were done for.

 

 

When people were in danger, when people were suffering, her heart and body still jumped into action to fight back and be the hero that was needed.

 

 

Keep moving forward.

 

 

Just be yourself.

 

 

If that isn't enough, be better.

 

 

Believe in all of us, because we believe in you.

 

 

_It really is that simple,_ Kairi reflected. _I never lost that spark, that heroic heart. It's always been with me. I'm such an idiot..._

 

 

Kairi turned her head up, Keyblade still held tightly in her grip. “Thank you, Hercules. And you too, Yuna.” Kairi gave her friend an appreciative look, for putting up with her despair and malaise, for always pushing her back towards the right path. “Thank you for showing me that my heart will always keep me on the right course. No matter how many times I might falter or show fear, my heart will light my path forward.”  
  


 

Once more, she pointed Destiny's Embrace at Hades. Like Hercules, Kairi was brimming with brilliant energy, almost visible to the others.

 

 

The Demigod of Heroes and Strength, and the Keyblade Warrior of Light were back!  
  


  
“Now let's finish this!”

 

 

Hades, in the meantime, seemed to be in the middle of pretty severe mental breakdown, and he looked to vent some of that anger and frustration towards the heroic quintet before him.

 

 

But, before anyone could act, the entirety of the Underdrome began to shake and rock, the whole structure trembling under the weight of something, as something crashed down and across it's roof. Said roof, soon caved in, raining debris all over the battlefield (and giving Kairi and Yuna some pretty severe flashbacks to earlier in the day) as two more figures entered the fray, falling to the arena floor and bouncing away from each other.

 

 

Lexaeus slowly got this feet, using his tomahawk as a stand, gritting his teeth together. The gargantuan monster of a man actually looked a little roughed up, but still fairly uninjured. When his eyes fell upon Kairi, the Nobody shot the girl a venomous glare.

 

 

“I will thank you for leading me to my target.” Lexaeus boomed at the other newcomer, before hefting up his weapon once more. As the dust began to settle, Kairi could see that it was the man from earlier, the one in the red _haori_.

 

 

“Oh, hey, Auron's here.” Rikku said, incredibly casually, the implication of her words seemingly lost on herself....

 

 

...Then, she did a wild doubletake, almost face faulting from the sheer force of the realization. “Wait, what the crap is Auron doing here!?” The blonde screeched, tugging at some of her braids.

 

 

“He's looking pretty good.” Paine surmised, a thin smile forming on her lips. “For a dead man, that is.”

 

 

“It's good to see you too, Paine.” Auron replied, in a low, raspy voice. Standing back up, Auron quickly turned to look at Kairi and her various companions, before drawing up to a fighting stance, shouldering his sword.

 

 

Yuna was looking at the older man with a mixture of awe, wonder, and nostalgia. “I can't believe it. I can't believe it was actually you. Auron...”

 

 

“We can have our heartfelt reunion later, Lady Yuna.” Auron's eyes turned towards the duo of Hades and Lexaeus. “We have other matters to attend to, first.”

 

 

Hades, however, was having none of, unleashing his anger and rage in stream of bituminous bile, directed at everything and everyone in his path.

 

 

“Na-ah! No way, not happening! I'm am not letting anymore bozos drop in a ruin everything! This is my Underworld, my Underdrome, my show! And what I say, goes, do you understand?”

 

 

During all this, Hercules just casually and simply walked over to the ranting God, and, while tapping him on the shoulder, said. “Oh, Hades?”

 

 

The Lord of the Dead reared back to face his nemesis, fully intending on lashing out physically and verbally. But, before the verbose, slick-talking God could even get a single word out, Hercules punched him full force, straight in the mouth. Teeth and slobber went flying through the air, as did Hades himself, launched at insane velocity across the arena, across the gap that separated the fighting grounds from the curtain wall, and through the wall itself, leaving a perfectly formed Hades-shaped outline in the stone.

 

 

With a rather smug look his face, Herc turned back to Kairi, Meg, and the others, dusting off his hands at the “effort” necessary to vanquish his foe.

 

 

“Well, uh, that was certainly more anti-climactic than I was expecting.” Rikku said in between snorts of laughter. “Not complaining, though. Way to go, stud!”

 

 

“Eh, Hades will find a way back, to bother us again. He always does.”

 

 

“Hate to cut the celebration short, but we still have one very large problem on our hands.” Paine cautioned. In the intervening moments since Hades' defeat, Lexaeus had gone and summoned more reinforcements for himself, in the form of a swarm of Heartless.

 

 

The shadowy beings instantly lunged forward, while the towering Nobody continued his methodical, stalking approach.

 

 

Battle broke out, as Kairi, Auron, and the Gullwings took to the fray to deal with the threat, Paine and Auron charging forward with their swords to dice and slice at the demons, while Kairi, Yuna, and Rikku stayed towards the back, lobbing spells and bombs to further thin out their ranks.

 

 

“Herc!” Kairi called out, in between bringing down lightning bolts to obliterate clusters of Heartless. “Take Meg and get out of here. We can handle this!”

 

 

“You sure Kairi?” Megara asked with a cocked eyebrow, scanning both the sheer number of Heartless... and the sheer size of Lexaeus. Kairi flashed a brilliant, confident grin back.

 

 

“Hey, Herc got his big hero moment. I think after all I've been through the past few days, I'm overdue for one of my own.”

 

 

“If you say so, hero.” Hercules smiled and nodded and Kairi, before hoisting Meg up once more. “I'll leave the rest to the five of you, then” Another mighty leap, and Hercules made his exit from the arena.

 

 

With the safety of her friends secured, Kairi turned back to her enemies... and almost lost her head in the process, narrowly avoiding a brutal strike from Lexaeus and his tomahawk.

 

 

“Whether you have your fighting spirit back, or not, it's of no matter.” Lexaues taunted, in between furious, crushing blows, which Kairi managed her best to dance around. “Power is absolute! Something a weakling like you would never understand.”

 

 

_Hate to admit it, but he's got a point..._ Kairi thought, as she continued her desperate display of deadly dodging. The size and power advantage was clearly in the favour of the earth elemental Nobody, not to mention the impossible mass and size of his weapon. Kairi couldn't just rush in and try and deal with this in melee, blow for blow, she needed to keep her distance and come up with a plan.

 

 

Kairi span away from Lexaeus' thrusting attack, which the Nobody then transitioned into a downward plunging blow, driving the crown of his weapon deep into the stone floor of the arena, splintering it, and sending shards of stone hurling into the air. Kairi went deep into her playbook, pointing her hands and Keyblade downward and conjuring a jet of flame at the floor, the spell serving as a rocket booster for the redhead, propelling her up and away from the rocky spears.

 

 

The Key Bearer sailed over her various allies, still engaged with the Heartless, and landing right near Auron, who was in the middle of effortless cutting down a pair of Large Body Heartless with his _zanbato_.

 

 

Lexaeus made a beeline towards her, barreling through the throng of monsters and ignoring the Gullwings. He only had one target on his mind, and it was Kairi.

 

 

Looking at the nearby Auron and the approaching Nobody, a devilish idea began to form in Kairi's mind. _I think it's time to pit power against power...._

 

 

But, despite the craftiness of her idea, it was little harder for the Princess to verbalize. “Hey, Auron, uh... I know we just met, but could you do me a favour? I need someone to keep the big guy busy.” Auron's head inclined towards hers, eyes narrowing in thought.

 

 

“I take it you're one of Sora's friends?” At the mention of her beloved friend, Kairi smiled and nodded. That earned a smirk from the older man. “Very well. Today, I will be your Guardian, Lady Kairi.” Auron pivoted on the spot, perfect timing, as he blocked another ferocious attack from Lexaues. The two warriors locked blades, not giving one another an inch, as they seemed perfectly matched in might.

 

 

Now that Lexaeus was occupied, Kairi took the edge of the arena, strafing around the platform to get a good angle of attack. “Yuna, Rikku, Paine! Keep the Heartless occupied. Auron and I will handle the Organization member.” She ordered, firmly but politely. The monsters from the shadows kept on coming, spawning more and more numbers, but appeared, only to run into a buzzsaw of steel and magic and explosives.

 

 

The Gullwings – the Heroes of Spira – would not wilt just in the face of overwhelming odds. They would take charge, fight, and win, like they always did.

 

 

Auron and Lexaeus also continued their clash, with the Nobody trying with all his power to break away from the elder warrior, only to be thwarted every time. Auron stuck to him like glue, not giving the gargantuan man an inch of breathing room. Kairi took the chance given to circle around and pepper Lexaeus' broad back with spells.

 

 

The Nobody grunted against the onslaught of magical attacks, as he once more tried to get away from Auron. “Is this all you can manage, girl? Are you such a powerless weakling that you can only hide behind others to accomplish their goals?”

 

 

“It's called strategy! And, hey, it's working, isn't it?” Kairi launched a quartet of icicles at the Nobody, zeroing in on her foe and embedding themselves deep within his broad back. Lexaeus roared in pain and anger, his black and red aura flashing briefly, before flexing the muscles in his back, shattering the ice, but leaving the gaping holes.

 

 

“Enough of this trickery!”

 

 

Lexaeus, in his fury, booted Auron away, turning to face Kairi and lunging out at her, as a roaring ball of fire zipped by him, barely grazing his cloak. The Nobody reared back for another attack, as Kairi prepared another spell-boosted dodge.

 

 

“You missed, girl.”  
  


 

“No. She didn't.”

 

 

A flaming _zanbato_ sliced through Lexaeus' side, clipping against his rib cage, and unleashing a torrent of the Nobody's black blood, steaming in the chilled air of the Underworld. With Auron's sword now coated in the magical flame of Kairi's spell, he unleashed a flurry of searing attacks, delivering two deep slashes at the Nobody's arm and shoulder, drawing more black ichor, before beginning to hack at his legs and knees.

 

  
Meanwhile, Kairi took to the air again, caught on an updraft by her Aero spell, and rained down several exploding water bubbles against Lexaeus, crashing with impactful force against his head and back.

 

 

Kairi touched back down to the ground, as Lexaeus and Auron clashed weapons again. She could tell that, with the damage done to his arm, Lexaeus was just a little slower on the draw. Little by little, they were grinding this mountain down, like ocean waves repeatedly slamming against the rocky cliffs. She drew up her Keyblade, readying another spell.

 

 

_Let's put an end to this, here and now._

 

 

This time, as Kairi charged forward, Lexaeus was able to create just enough breathing room for himself that he had the time and space to snag onto the lapel of Auron's robe, using his superhuman strength to lift the Guardian into the air, effortlessly, with just one hand! With the same amount of exertion, the Nobody flung Auron away, causing him to crash into both Paine and Rikku, the three Spiran warriors collapsing into a tangled heap.

 

 

Once more, free of distractions and attention undivided, Lexaeus focused in on the Keyblade bearing girl.

 

 

“You've done better than I initially expected.” Quickly, impossibly quick, Lexaeus hammered his tomahawk on the stone floor, causing a fissure to spread out and snake towards Kairi. “But whatever meager power you can muster will not avail you. You will fall!” The floor beneath Kairi's feet cracked and ruptured, a great force hurling her into the air, helplessly adrift among the debris, stones and rocks cutting and battering against her body. “Do you understand what it means to stand against the Organization? It is a death sentence!” As before, in the chamber beneath, Lexaeus twisted his body like a discus thrower, before hurling his tomahawk at the defenseless form of Kairi, the gigantic dervish of death and demise whirring it's way towards her at a frightening pace.

 

 

Paine, Rikku, and Auron were still down. Kairi was twisting about, mid-freefall.

 

 

“It is the end! The fate of all those who challenge the Organization!”

 

 

The weapon continued it's course, closer and closer, coming within feet of colliding with Kairi...

 

 

“Stopra!”

 

 

A burst of golden, eldricth light collided with titanic tomahawk, transforming into a glyph imposed over it, in the form of a clock face. The hands of the clock rapidly spun about the numbers, before coming to a sudden, and complete stop, as the magic of the spell spread, leeching and saturating the colour of the tomahawk.

 

 

The weapon held in the air, motionless, sealed and locked by arcane forces, as Lexaeus looked on in complete shock.

 

 

Yes, Rikku, Paine, and Auron were down, but Yuna was not, having fired a perfectly place magic-infused bullet, at the exact perfect moment. Silently, the ex-Summoner urged the Key Bearer on, urged her to put an end to this.

 

 

_Thank you for your support, Yuna. You're the best party member a hero could ask for!_

 

  
Kairi shifted her body around so that she was rightside up, maneuvering herself towards the paused tomahawk and landing atop it, using it as a platform to jump to an even higher height, cresting upwards and almost touching the ceiling of the Underdrome.

 

 

“I know exactly what it means to challenge the Organization, Lexaeus!” Kairi raised her Keyblade above her head, as she felt the energy deep within her pulse and ebb and flow once more. A radiant halo formed around her body, bringing intense illumination into the room, blinding and staggering the Nobody beneath her. “You're terrible monsters who prey on the weaknesses and doubts of others. You attack the hearts of others out of fear and jealousy.” Loss. Separation. Anxiety. Fear. Depression. How many others had felt what Kairi had? How man others had suffered at the hands of the demons? What else had they done to Sora? To Riku? To Roxas and Namine?

 

 

_Wait... why did I think of... those two, here and now?_

 

 

“But I'm done running and hiding from you, I'm done cowering under shadows made of my own doubt! For everyone out there who is terrified and suffering, I will fight for them!” The Light within her and around her began to take form, twin strands of energy – one pink, the other gold – ran their way up Destiny's Embrace. “You keep going on about how weak I am, and how power means everything, but I know I have the power to defeat you!

 

 

“My friends are my power!

 

 

“Their faith in me is my shield!

 

 

“And my Light is my blade!

 

 

_If I can't put my faith in myself, don't just believe in Sora or Yuna or anyone else. Believe in the them that have faith in me._

 

 

_I do. I do!_

 

 

**[ _RADIANT FINISH: Heavenly Spiral Buster!_ ]**

 

 

The twin trails of shining light energy finally formed into a great, conical drill bit, encasing the length of Destiny's Embrace, and over seven-feet in length. The conical lance began to spin and whir violently, as Kairi pointed it towards Lexaeus, charging downward through the air, aiming straight at the massive monster of a man. As befitting his stature and power, Lexaeus stood his ground, summoning up a barricade of stone and earth to block the attack, but with the strength of her holy drill lance, Kairi just plowed straight through, not even slowing down as she continued on a collision course.

 

 

Deprived of his weapon, and with his elemental powers failing, Lexaeus took the physical approach, trying to seize the shining armament with his bare hands. His bare, bear-like hands. But, again, the defence crumbled almost instantly, as the blazing Light energy burned and seared at gloved hands. The Nobody flinched in pain, as Kairi drove her lance deep into the gut of the, the whirring and spinning intensifying as it buried more and more of it's length into the cavity of the Nobody. Black blood sprayed everywhere, Lexaeus gritting his teeth together to suppress a scream, but his hands kept scrabbling forward, clawing at the lance, even as it dug deeper and deeper into his being. Trying to literally get his hands on Kairi, to choke the life out of her.

 

 

Lexaeus lunged out once more, hands reaching for Kairi's neck, but the Key Bearer stood her ground, eyes flaring with fire and triumph.

 

 

“This is my story, Lexaeus, and I will see it through to it's end. An ending where we dismantle the Organization, and save Sora!”

 

 

With a guttural, primal cry, Kairi forced the energy drill to launch off the Keyblade, angling herself underneath the mammoth form of Lexaeus, so that he shot upwards into the sky. Propelled higher and higher, the lance boring deeper and deeper, and the Nobody crying out in agony louder and louder, it all soared towards the apex of the Underdrome's roof, ending with a brilliant, dazzling explosion in the shape of shining star!

 

 

Kairi felt her breath leave her body, as her legs turned to jelly. Exhaustion crashed over her, as she fell to her knees.

 

 

Fortunately, the battle was dying down at his point, with Auron and the Gullwings make quick work of the remaining Heartless. With the threat eliminated, Yuna immediately rushed over to Kairi and threw her arms around the younger girl. Kairi was very grateful for the embrace and the contact, even if she was totally drained by this point. Was it the constant ebb and flow of adrenaline in her system that was doing this? Had today been such a rollercoaster that she now had nothing left?

 

 

_No. I felt like this on Twilight Town, too. There's something more that I am missing..._

 

 

Regardless of the reason, Kairi pushed it all away and smiled back at her friends and companions, turning her head just in time to see Lexaeus plummet back to earth, landing with a heavy _THUD_ in the middle of the arena. From the quickest of glances, everyone could tell that the Nobody was finished. Kairi's light lance had gored him straight through, leaving a twisted hole in the middle of his body, as his being began to break down, slowly disintegrating into flecks and wisps of darkness.

 

 

One last time, Lexaeus turned to face Kairi, but now, there was a different look in his eyes, a glint of something. Respect? Acknowledgment?

 

 

“Such power... the likes of which I never imagined....”

 

 

Before he could utter another word, Lexaeus' spirit gave out, the entirety of his gigantic mass vanishing and smoking away... revealing, beneath all that, the writhing form of a Dusk Nobody. Kairi and the others looked on in shock and confusion, as the thing twitched slightly, before also vanishing into nothing.

 

 

“That was uh... that was a thing that happened.” Rikku stammered, scratching her head. Her bemusement was mirrored by her two fellow sisters-in-arms. “Is that what's suppose to happen?”

 

 

Kairi shook her head. “No. No, this is wrong...” She couldn't place her finger on it, but she knew this wasn't what was suppose to happen when a Nobody perished.

 

 

On the far edge of the arena, a swirling Dark Corridor burst into existence, a figure striding through the shadowy path and into the world.

 

 

“That was not the real Lexaeus. Merely, it was a shadow of his former self, brought forth from non-existence by our Superior.”

 

 

Kairi felt her blood set to boil when the form of the scarred Nobody, Saix, emerged from the portal, still possessing that insufferable detached expression, as he observed Kairi and her companions.

 

 

“Saix...” This was it. He was the root cause of all this madness. If Kairi could muster the strength to stand, she would charge at the monster before her, and attempt to mete out some much needed revenge against the Nobody.

 

 

For his part, Saix paid her no mind, as if she wasn't even there, and continued to explain just what had happened. “Lexaeus, as well as several of our other cohorts, perished some time ago. In order to bolster our waning numbers, our Superior reached into the depths of nothingness to retrieve their powers and forms, to create these puppets – these Absent Silhouettes.”

 

 

“And what? Now you've come to mop up the remains?” Kairi challenged. Auron and the Gullwings had their weapons back out, all standing in guarded poses.

 

 

Now, Saix's eyes did fall upon her. But the way he looked at her, it seemed he saw her as less of a person, and more of an object. An object with little to no value.

 

 

Kairi shivered and seethed.

 

 

“And why would I bother with that? I only came to observe the performance of our puppet. Engaging you serves no purpose. You will fail sooner or later, because that is all you are. A failure. A useless little damsel like you couldn't possibly challenge us.”

 

 

With a vicious sneer that caused Kairi's blood to bubble and blister even hotter, Saix retreated back into the Corridor and vanished.

 

 

The girls all sighed, at the least, thankful that they seemed to be finally out of danger...

 

 

...And then the Underdrome arena began to shake and rumble, everyone tangibly feeling the structure sink and lower.

 

 

“I believe we have overstayed our welcome...” Auron declared gruffly, motioning to the exit of the stadium. Rikku was already in the process of scurrying away.

 

 

“Then let's make like a couple o' bats and get outta hell!”

 

 

Auron, Yuna, and Rikku all beat a hasty retreat, with Paine picking up the fatigued and exhausted Kairi, carrying her at her side, held under one arm. Normally, Kairi would have a problem with such treatment, but she wasn't exactly in a position to object right now.

 

 

The group of heroes made their escape, as the Underdrome sank into the murky depths of the River Styx.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Yuna inhaled deeply, enjoying the cool night air of Olympus, thankful to be free from the stuffy confines of the Underworld.

 

 

Kairi, Rikku, and Paine had joined Hercules, Megara, and Phil over in the center of the ruined pavilion of the Coliseum, idly chatting about the day's events, but Yuna remained at the edge of the gate to the Underworld, Auron standing right behind her.

 

 

All the time, Auron had not taken a single step across the threshold that separated the world of the living from the world of the dead.

 

 

“I still cannot believe we would find you in a place like this.” Yuna said to her former Guardian. She was speaking to him while keeping on eye on Kairi and the others. Auron didn't mind the lack of eye contact.

 

 

At her comment, Auron chuckled slightly. “Well, the dead have to go somewhere, don't we?” He replied, sardonically.

 

 

Paine was in the middle of going on a tirade towards Phil, but Yuna didn't pay it much mind. She was content to enjoy her current company, for as long as possible.

 

 

“And I see old habits die hard, too. Even in death, you're still going around protecting people...” Yuna paused, smiling fondly, as she reminisced to her time on Spira. When all of her companions were together and united. “Then again, I suppose you had been doing that for a long time. Even back on Spira.”

 

 

“It's the role I've grown accustomed to. You. Your father. I am a Guardian, through and through...” Auron's voice seemed to suddenly grow faint and distant. “And now, it looks like you have your own Summoner to protect, Lady Yuna.”

 

 

Yuna turned about to face her longtime friend, at both the quieting of his voice and the cryptic nature of his words. What she found instead of the elder warrior, was a cloud of soft, golden motes of light, hanging brightly in the air, occupying the space between life and death.

 

 

At first taken aback, Yuna quickly composed herself, bowing her head slightly, in remembrance and reverence. This is how it was. This is how it went.

 

 

“Goodbye, old friend. I'm glad we could meet again, for one last time.” Yuna said softly, hand held over her heart. No matter where she went or what she did, she knew the memories of Spira, her quest, and her faithful companions would all live on within her, for all of time.

 

 

Yuna turned away from the Underworld and began walking towards Kairi and the others.

 

 

But, for now, she had a different quest to tend to.

 

 

“...Again, I don't think I can thank you enough for what you've done, Kairi.” Hercules said. “You and your friends.”

 

 

Kairi only scratched the back of her head awkwardly. “I don't really think I did much, Herc... You were the one who figured your crisis out. We weren't even able to find or rescue Meg. If anything, I should be thanking you for showing me that I should keep fighting, no matter what.”

 

 

The two continued to bandy back and forth for a while, both of them making cases for why the other deserved the praise and thanks for the day, and each countering the claims the other made. Paine shook her head in annoyance at the display, forcing Meg to step in and break the cycle.

 

 

“I think what Wonderboy is trying to say here,” Meg said, placing a loving hand across the Demigod's chest, “is that he wouldn't have gotten to the point where he could save me, if it weren't for you four.” Herc smiled and nodded and the summation.

 

 

“Exactly! Even beyond that, Sora has helped me out so many times in the past, I feel like I now you even more in spades.” Kairi turned away and blushed. She didn't handle praise well, and she especially didn't want praise for the things Sora had done. “I'll believe in people like you, the Keyblade Wielders. You guys truly are heroes.”

 

 

This comment alarmed Phil. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy there Champ. Don't go saying things you can't back up! The Junior Hero still has a long way to go, and don't even get me started on her.” The satyr pointed at Kairi. “She hasn't even gone through the most basic of trials yet. No way either of them can measure up to you!”

 

 

“Oh, not this again...” Paine growled under her breath, holding her face in one of her hands.

 

 

Both Herc and Meg just chuckled softly. “I think there are more ways to be a hero than your judgement, Phil.” Meg cautioned, gently, earning a dismissive wave from the hero trainer.

 

 

“Then don't go spreadin' it around. Otherwise, I'd be out've job!”

 

 

Kairi smiled politely at the playful bickering. Truth to be told, she didn't really get Phil's insistence and high standards on who is or is not a hero. She certainly felt like a hero after all she had accomplished. She was certain Sora and Yuna felt the same way about themselves. Kairi certainly considered them both great heroes.

 

 

_I hope one day I can measure up to what they've done._

 

 

In her idle thought, her vision drifted upward slightly, motion in the sky catching her eyes. “Hey! Everyone, look!”

 

 

Kairi pointed skyward, and six pairs of eyes followed her finger to the source of the movement. Within the vastness of the night's sky, dozens and dozens – maybe even hundreds – of stars were swirling about. Kairi felt her heart stir at the beauty of the light show, while everyone else finally quieted down, taking in the majesty of it all. In the end, the movement had caused the stars to reform themselves, clustered together into a very distinct shape – if Kairi squinted her eyes in just the right way, if she drew imaginary lines connecting the pinpricks of light standing against the darkness, she should see it.

 

 

It was an image of her and Sora, standing back to back, arms locked together.

 

 

“Well, I think the Gods have spoken. Sora and Kairi are heroes, through and through!” Hercules declared in joyous tones. “What are we going to name this new constellation, though?”

 

 

Instantly, Paine spoke up.

 

 

“' _Et amanates_ '.” Everyone looked to her for explanation and translation. “'The lovers'.” The white-haired woman offered.

 

 

Immediately, as soon as the word “Lovers” left Paine's lips, Kairi froze stiff, as if she were made of marble. Marble that was coloured bright red, for every last inch of her skin blistered and blushed a radiant crimson, as the world spun around her, deliriously, as she could only babble in response.

 

 

“Whaaaa... Me? Sora? Sora? N-no! No! We're not, uh... it's not...”

 

 

Rikku pointed and laughed. “Aha! I knew it! You got it bad for the Keyblade boy, don't ya, Red?” Kairi continued to only speak in nonsense, so mortified she could die, as Paine had easily stripped her heart down to it's barest elements. It's core, most important emotions.

 

 

Everyone was staring at her, now.

 

 

“What's the matter, Kairi? I think it's perfect.” Came Hercules. Megara nodding in agreement.

 

 

“No. No!” Kairi blurted out, suddenly. “It's not... me and Sora, we're not, uh...” She couldn't even say the word in the same breath as her in Sora. She couldn't even _think_ of her and Sora in that way, as wonderful and dream-like as that scenario would be. “Friends!” Kairi finally managed to say. “We're just friends!”

 

 

“Really?” Meg gave her a quizzical look, raising an eyebrow. “With that way he talks about you, I always assumed you were already a couple.”

 

 

Kairi's blush went up a few shades of red. “Sora... says stuff about me? About us? What kind of – NO!” Kairi squeaked embarrassment, before flipping her hair forward, shielding her face from the world. This was too much. This was way too much. She thought she had been subtle about her romantic feelings for Sora, how did everyone suspect this? How did they know?

 

 

“Sora and Kairi, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.” Rikku danced around the embarrassed girl, teasing her with the childish song. “First comes love, then comes marriage, the comes Kai- AAAGH!”

 

 

Rikku fell to her knees, her entire body convulsing violently, as she clutched at the heavy collar that bound her neck. “Oh no! She remembered the -”

 

 

“I remembered the shock collars!” Kairi was feverishly hammering on the button that triggered Rikku's, her humiliation giving way to frustration.

 

 

Paine was already leaving the scene by this point, Yuna offering a bow and goodbye.

 

 

“Quit screwing around, you two. We have to get back to work. We're behind schedule after this little detour.”

 

 

“Huh?” Kairi blinked, before realizing. The girl forgot all about her feelings being displayed for the world, and the shameful display of hers, as she chased after Paine. There were more important matters to attend to.

 

 

“Hey, Paine. Speaking of detours, there's one more I want to embark on, before we get back to the mission.”

 

 

“Oh? And what sort of sidequest is this one?”

 

  
“Well... I just want to go back. I need to go back...”

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Compared to their first adventure, the return trip to Beast's Castle was like night and day.

 

 

Literally. It was the dead of night when they landed prior, and now it was the middle of the day, the sun shining for all the world to enjoy.

 

 

Telling the Gullwings that she would be fine on her own, that this wouldn't (shouldn't) take too long, Kairi disembarked on her own, making her way through the castle grounds, moving with purpose. Despite her determined state of mind, Kairi still noticed that there were a few things different, this time around. Namely, there were people – actual factual people – inhabiting the castle, doing repairs and the various damages that had been inflicted to the castle during Kairi's battle with Xaldin. Even stranger, some of these people seemed oddly familiar to Kairi, and they seemed to recognize her, too, but those questions could be answered at a later date.

 

 

Kairi was looking for two individuals in particular. Her heart would not rest until they were found.

 

 

Eventually, after ten minutes of fruitless searching, one of the others wandering the castle decided to offer a helping hand, fetching one of the people she was looking for.

 

 

The weight of the world was lifted from Kairi's shoulders, when Belle finally came into view, perfectly whole as before, save for a bandage on her head.

 

 

Kairi immediately rushed to her, placing the other Princess in a tight, secure embrace.

 

 

“Kairi! This is a surprise!” The woman seemed taken aback, both by her appearance, and the suddenness of the gesture. “What in the world are you doing back here, so soon?”

 

 

“I-I just...” Even if she had moved beyond her depression and dread, there was still a little twisted shard in Kairi's heart she knew she couldn't remove any other way. She was afraid for the fates of Beast and Belle following the encounter with Xaldin. She was ashamed over having fled the world so soon, without so much as a goodbye, let alone doing anything to help them. Kairi needed to set things right. For her. For them.

 

 

Kairi separated herself from Belle, before bowing deeply to the other girl.

 

 

“I just came back to say I'm sorry! I'm so sorry for what happened, Belle. For leading that monster right towards you and letting him hurt you and the Beast! I couldn't protect you, a-a-and we just left! We left without giving you any peace of mind or even seeing if you were okay... And I can't imagine Sora ever did this to you guys and it's just...”

 

 

Kairi began to ramble and rant, her emotions just spilling out of her without caution or heed. Belle, for her part, stood by patiently, as Kairi vomited out all the things that were welled up within her, releasing all her fears and guilt and shame. By the time Kairi had finished, her voice was hoarse and weak, and she stood hunched over, breathing raggedly.

 

 

She also noticed, someone new had joined Belle in observing her, and absorbing her verbal tidal wave. Someone unfamiliar to Kairi, yet she felt a strange sense of deja-vu around him.. A tall, handsome man, with long flow locks.

 

 

“I'm sorry, sir, but have we met before?” Belle smiled at the comment. The man laughed. “What?”

 

 

“You have and you haven't, Kairi.” Belle said, offering no help or explanation.

 

 

The man bowed deeply to Kairi, as he introduced himself. “You may call me 'Prince Adam', though, we've already me before.”

 

 

Kairi stared for a moment, before it all hit her. “Beast?” Both Belle and Adam confirmed her guess. “But, how? How?”

 

 

“Well, after the battle, the servants were able to gather us and heal our wounds, but Belle was not waking up. For days after, she remained unconscious. I was terrified that I would lose her. All the time, I did not leave her bedside, and prayed for her recovery, but then she took a turn for the worse.... In my desperation, I poured my heart, my very soul, to her. On, what I thought was her deathbed, I confessed my love to her...”

 

 

Kairi nodded along in understanding. She had read in the journal about the curse placed on The Beast, and his quest to find true love to break it. How Belle seemed to be the answer her had long searched for.

 

 

“Well, I suppose from there, you can fill in the rest of the story.” Belle said, with a fond smile.

 

 

“I... that's great.” Kairi was flustered. Thunderstruck. “Beyond great. I'm so happy for you two.”

 

 

“So there's no need to apologize for what happened. In the end, it all worked out.” Belle then laughed. “In a funny way, we should thank you, for all the chaos you brought with you.”

 

 

_Oh, please no..._ Kairi blanched. Not more praise. _Not again. And don't phrase it like that, please._

 

 

The couple seemed to sense Kairi's discomfort, so Bea – er, Adam said, “Or rather, we should thank you, and then ask you, when you see Sora next, tell him 'Thank you', as well. For all the things he's done for us throughout the years.”

 

 

_Now that, I can do._

 

 

Kairi smiled slightly, still a little uncomfortable from all the praise she had been receiving as of late, but happy all the same. “As long as you two are okay, that's all that matters.” Belle returned the expression, warmly.

 

 

“We are. But I think you have more important matters than exchanging pleasantries.”

 

 

The Key Bearer nodded. She had the most important of matters on her lap.

 

 

Out there, in the great beyond, there were other people hurt and suffering. Other people in need of a hero.

 

 

And Kairi would be that hero, that everyone needed. Because all these people had placed their unwavering faith in her.

 

 

As Kairi walked away, Belle called out to her. “Oh! And, I do hope that you and Sora find the same kind of happiness Adam and I have!”

 

 

Kairi nearly tripped over herself.

 

 

_Does everyone think that of us? Sora! What have you been telling people!_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hers is the Keyblade that shall pierce the heavens!!!
> 
>  
> 
> I absolutely did not intend for such a strong streak of Gurren Lagann references here, but that's just the direction things sort of went. Be sure to play “Sorairo Days” over the climax.
> 
>  
> 
> -Kairi backtracking to Beast's Castle and apologizing for what happened, I feel like that's important for her. Like I've said, Sora just sort of breezes through any really issues on the bulk of his quest, things always turn up aces for him, where, for Kairi, I wanted more of a sense that she can fail, that she does screw up, that's she's still learning. But, she's also not the type to mess up and run away, even if she didn't feel immense guilt and shame about it. And, hey, even with all these hoops and twists, Beast and Belle still get their happy ending. She's gotta feel good about that!
> 
>  
> 
> -Also, I now feel very validated in my choice to have the Gullwings as Kairi's party members, especially Yuna. I think it's a failure of the franchise that the Final Fantasy characters (and the party members, to a lesser extent) either don't have arcs, or they aren't used to advanced the arcs of our heroes. With how KH is set up – Sora helping the Disney characters find their destinies and their happy endings, while the Final Fantasy characters seemed to have had some adventures of their own and are kind of fully complete – it feels like you could do much more with the FF characters, using them as mentors to help guide Sora, Kairi, Riku et al forward.
> 
>  
> 
> So Yuna relating her adventures, her trials, and her successes (again, a bit of slightly altered version of FFX) to Kairi, and seeing how they match up, as well as Yuna having completed her heroic quest, she has now grown into a mentor figure for the younger heroine. I feel like I'm rambling here, but I like this set up, and would like to actually see something like this in the games in the future.
> 
>  
> 
> -Also the “I remembered the shock collars” line is more of shade tossed against me. I added those in and then forgot to plan any sort of jokes or bits involving the collars, so... I remembered the shock collars everyone!
> 
>  
> 
> Power Levels  
> Kairi is roughly equivalent to Sora by the time he finishes Port Royal. She hasn't grown that much in the intervening time, but she is still making progress, even when weighed down by her own self-doubt.
> 
>  
> 
> The Gullwings have not changed, they are the same as the last time we checked in on them.
> 
>  
> 
> Lexaues – and all Silhouette Nobodies, for that matter – are more equal in power to the Guardian Heartless, than the other “living” humanoid Nobodies. It would be a little absurd if Xemnas could just constantly revive his fallen allies to be as strong as they were, but they still make for a challenge for Kairi and the others.
> 
>  
> 
> But, yeah, another busy, full chapter. Lots of growths and changes and revelations. Any thoughts, dear readers? On Kairi's growth, Yuna's mentor role, the truth of the Absent Silhouettes? Please feel free to share you thoughts and input in any form you so do choose.
> 
>  
> 
> Until next time, let the light guide your path forward.


	12. Getting Back To Business

**She Will Light The Way  
Chapter Twelve  
Getting Back To Business**

 

 

Kairi was incredibly thankful, that, after the events on the Coliseum, things seemed to settle back to normal – or what passed for normal – for her and the Gullwings. Her training continued, at the same hurried but focused pace as before, as their unnamed ship (Rikku had been referring to it as the _Kelvin_ , but she was the only one) rocketed off to the location of the next Blackheart Stone.

 

 

However, Kairi was also incredibly frustrated and annoyed that her... romantic life had become quite the topic of interest for Yuna and Rikku (Paine didn't seem to care one way or another, thank goodness). Not a day went by where she wasn't pestered by Rikku, or where Yuna didn't make some sort of cryptic comment, accompanied by a polite, but knowing, smile. At first, Kairi just tried to ignore their comments. Then, she tried to do the gracious thing and just calmly brush pass the topic, tell them that it wasn't too important, that they had better things to focus on in the interim.

 

 

And yet, neither Gullwing would relent, as Kairi felt her guard be slowly worn down, hour after hour, day after day. Not helping the matter was what Megara and Belle had said, or the fact that their words would repeat in her head at the most awkward of times.

 

 

_Seriously, what have you been telling people, Sora?_

 

 

_Have you been going around telling all your friends we're a couple or something?_

 

 

Kairi honestly didn't know how to feel about that scenario.

 

 

Obviously she didn't like the idea of a guy – any guy or anyone for that matter – going on and on about how they were together without her knowledge or permission. But, on the other hand... it was Sora! Charming, brave, sunny, daring, friendly, kind, sweet, wonderful Sora!

 

 

_Not to mention did you see how much he's grown in the last year?_ A more... perverse part of Kairi's mind rang out at a point. _Sora's always been a cutey, but now he's so striking and handsome!_

 

 

_..._

 

 

At times, Kairi herself was her worst enemy during this period. As much as she didn't really want to talk about it with others, she couldn't deny it, deep down, she had a very strong, resonating crush on the boy. Her best friend. The most wonderful person she had ever met in her life.

 

 

Her hero, who had traveled to the ends of the world to save her.

 

 

The boy who had gave up everything, possibly risking the safety of the universe, all for her.

 

 

“Alright, alright, I like Sora! Okay? Happy?” Kairi broke down one night, during dinner in the galley. They were only a day out of the next world, she was surprised she had lasted this long. “I like Sora. I have a big, big, biiiig crush on Sora! Happy now!?” Kairi took a big bite of the meat pie she and Paine had prepared for dinner, chewing on it while holding her hands out to Yuna and Rikku, signaling for their input on the matter.

 

 

“I mean, yes, I am glad that you admitted it.” Yuna said, with a little bit of bemusement to her voice.

 

 

Rikku pouted, pushing around a bit of her meal with her fork. “Well, I'm not! Now that you've admitted it, I can't tease you about it. You always take the fun out of things, Red.” Kairi's face screwed up in annoyance, before Yuna spoke up again.

 

 

“Don't you feel better now that you've said it aloud?” Kairi shook her head, glumly, earning a comforting pat on the back from the brunette. “Well, maybe you will when the two of you are reunited and you can tell him in person.”

 

 

An alarmed look overtook Kairi, looking like she was about to spit out her food, when Rikku jumped back in, lips curled in a mischievous smirk.

 

 

“Ooh! Yeah, yeah! Whacha gonna do when you run into him again, Kai-Kai?” Rikku shifted her chair across the floor, shifting so that she was sitting right next to the Key Bearer, encroaching in on Kairi's personal space. “You gonna cry? Tell him you love him? Hug him? Whisper sweet nothings into his ear? Kiss him?” By this point, Kairi had swallowed her food, but was still chewing on her thoughts and emotions, blushing a vibrant scarlet. “Maybe you'll strip him down and get on your knees and – GAAK!!!”

 

 

Paine roughly tugged on Rikku's scarf, with enough force to both enclose it around her windpipe and pull her from her chair. Kairi shot the dark and dour woman a thankful look before speaking.

 

 

“I'm not going to do anything.” She shook her head. “No, I mean... I'll be very happy to see him again, but what's the point in telling him this stuff, right? He's been all over the place, met so many people, and is just so amazing... he could have any girl he wanted, why settle for plain old me?”

 

 

Both Yuna and Paine looked towards each other, silently sharing their doubt about Kairi's question, but neither said a word about it. The three continued to eat in silence, as Rikku clambered on back to her chair, pushing it away from Kairi, as well. Before long, however, Kairi spoke up once again.

 

 

“Hey guys, weird question, but, have any of you ever been in love?”

 

 

The three Spiran woman exchanged looks with each other, taking a little bit of time to process the question and their own answers. Paine took hold of the serving knife, slicing up a second piece of pie for herself, as she explained.

 

 

“Well, Yuna certainly had her fair share of suitors back home, both good and bad.. Kind of to be expected, after all. Daughter of Lord Braska, a Summoner in her own right.”

 

 

“Oh, there was certainly some bad. A whole lot of bad.” Yuna grimaced slightly. “But I never really gave any of my suitors much thought. It was never really something I concerned myself with, even to this day.” With a wistful look on her face, the young mage held her cheek in one hand. “I guess I'm one of those types who is waiting to find that one special person, and once I've met them, that will be it.”

 

 

Kairi nodded along, absorbing the knowledge, before shifting her eyes in Paine's direction. She was in the middle of eating her pie, and seemed to tortuously stretched the chewing and masticating to avoid the question for as long as possible.

 

 

“Don't expect a whole lot from me either.” Paine finally said, before taking a drink of her water. “For me, romance means going to a bar, having a guy buy me a drink or two, then we go back to his place and we...” She paused, eyeing Kairi, clearly taking her age and innocence into consideration while choosing her words, very carefully. “And we 'fool around'. Then, come morning, I leave and we never see each other again.” Paine turned away and muttered, “That's good enough for me, anyways...”

 

 

Before Kairi could fully process what Paine had said, or ask any follow-ups, Rikku had scooted her chair over to the Key Bearer's side again, and quickly launched into her own explanation.

 

 

“As for me, well, I don't mean to brag, but I've had more than my share of flings across the worlds.” Rikku declared, proud and beamish, throwing an arm around Kairi. “All sorts of men and women have fallen to my charming flirtations!”

 

 

“Don't listen to her.” Paine interrupted, casting her blonde companion a disapproving look. “She talks a big game, and hits on anything that moves, but she's never closed the deal with anyone before.” Rikku deflated in the face of Paine's withering words, resting her chin on the edge of the tabletop.

 

 

“Yeah, well, I'm gonna go and change that soon enough.” Rikku said from her vantage point on top of the table. “I mean, if our fearless leader is giving a pass on Sora, I may as well take a swing at him!”

 

 

Kairi dropped her fork in disbelief at what she had just heard, the utensil loudly clattering against her plate. “I'm sorry, what?”

 

 

Rikku perked up, sitting back to full height. “Yeah, I mean, you always talk up about what a great guy he is. Plus, he's a total cutey to boot! So I figure, why not? I bet we could make each other very happy.” Rikku's tone was serious, yet playful, even as she gave a bit of a taunting side-eye towards Kairi.

 

 

The Light wielder shook her head, vociferously. “No. No. That is not happening, Rikku.” Kairi's voice was low and serious, almost commanding or threatening.

 

 

The blonde raised an eyebrow at that comment. “And why is that?”

 

 

“Because it's just not, okay?”

 

 

“No, I mean, why do you get to say who can and can't date Sora?” Rikku countered, jabbing a finger into Kairi's shoulder. Paine made motions that she was about to speak up, but the Al-Bhed girl cut her off. “Lemme say my piece first, Paine, 'kay?” Rikku quickly turned back to face Kairi, giving her an uncharacteristically austere and straightforward look. “I mean, you guys aren't dating. You just said there's no point in confessing your feelings to him. And he's his own man, you don't own him or possess him and you definitely don't get to say 'No' to me like that.”

 

 

Kairi hunched down, flustered, yet frustrated. Just the idea of Sora and Rikku being together had sent a surge of alien jealousy rushing through her body. Rikku was right, she knew that; she had no jurisdiction on what Sora did with his life or who he involved himself with (Kairi was certain he had more than a few flirtatious encounters with the various people he had during his travels, another fact that set her blood to boil and her heart to racing. Why was that? Why did those thoughts cause that reaction?), but having Rikku rub it all in her face was just too much for her to handle.

 

 

Taking a breath to calm herself, Kairi began. “Listen, Rikku, I know what I said sounded kind of rude and possessive, but what I meant is -”

 

 

Rikku suddenly stood up, and began to circle the table, talking over Kairi as she did.

 

 

“And, he's his own person with his own agency, too. Maybe he's not into me. Maybe I'm not his type. Maybe he rejects the two of us and we hook up while we're on the same rebound.” At that, Rikku turned to Kairi, giving the Key Bearer a saucy look, while batting her eyes furiously. Now there was the Rikku Kairi knew.

 

 

Kairi could not tell if Rikku was being serious or not. Worse still, she couldn't tell exactly how she felt about Rikku's (sincere?) (playful?) advances.

 

 

_I hope this doesn't awaken anything in me..._

 

 

“But, ya know, seeing as how we're friends and junk, I'll give you this, Red.” Rikku continued, rapping her knuckles on the table. “I'll let you have the first shot at confessing your feelings. But I ain't gonna wait to ask long, and neither should you. Love isn't a fair game, it's a gamble. You either roll the dice, or lose your turn.

 

 

“So, what's it gonna be, Kai-Kai? You gonna woman up and tell him when you come together? Or are ya gonna pussyfoot around the obvious and just try and jealously hold on to him?”

 

 

All eyes in the room fell on Kairi, the looks the Gullwings gave her seemingly prickling at her skin. Rikku was, of course, looking on intently, but Yuna's eyes were lit up with curiosity, too. Even Paine seemed to want to know what her answer was... or maybe she just wanted for this escapade to finally come to an end and finish her dinner in peace.

 

 

Kairi certainly did.

 

 

The redhead sank down in her chair, withering beneath the three sets of eyes, a pile of emotions swirling inside of her, no exit in sight, as she didn't even know how to process or vocalize them. Desperately just wanting this to be done with this conversation, Kairi did the first thing that came to mind...

 

 

The girl shoveled the remnants of her dinner into her mouth, then quickly bused her plate over to sink, offering the trio a muffled series of thanks through her mouthful of food.

 

 

Kairi could not have left the galley fast enough.

 

 

In the aftermath, Rikku stood with her hands on her hips, wearing a look of smug satisfaction. “Yep! I knew I had her type pegged from the beginning. The kind to sit around and be passive.” Rikku busied herself collecting her and Yuna's dishes and placing them on the countertop, as well. Her cousin just sighed and shook her head.

 

 

“I really wish you would stop teasing her like that, Rikku. Especially about this. Sora was her best friend before anything else, she's probably just confused by these feelings and doesn't know what to do.” Yuna said, but that only earned a dismissive gesture from the younger blonde girl.

 

 

“Oh, it's okay, Yunie. She can take it, right? 'Sides, girl's gotta learn. In life, you don't get anything by just sitting around and waiting politely. If you want something, you gotta take it with your own two hands!” Rikku punctuated her declaration by aggressively snatching at the air. “'Course, even if I give her the first shot, there's no way she'll make the first move when those two finally reunite.”

 

 

Paine turned to her, still working through the last few bites of her pie. “You sound pretty confident about that, Rikku. Care to put your munny where you mouth is?”

 

 

The blonde perked up again, rushing over to the older woman's side. “I do! Oh, you can bet I do, old girl.” Rikku bobbed her head back and forth in anticipation, a cat-like smile crossing her face. “Let's say a thousand. A thousand munny!” Paine nodded in agreement. “Now, what do you wanna wager on...?”

 

 

“Mhm, well given what we've been discussing, let's say, when Kairi reunites with Sora...” Paine threw her head back over the seat of her chair, wearing a very slight confident smirk. “She kisses him. When they come together, she kisses him.”  
  


 

Immediately, Rikku said, “BUT she has to initiate it. And it's gotta be,” the blonde puckered up and pointed at her lips, “Right here, baby. Not the cheeks or forehead or anywhere else.” Paine just shrugged, still seeming very confident.

 

 

“Fine. But I want odds. Two-to-one.” Rikku grumbled in compliance, as Paine and her shook hands, making the wager official.

 

 

Yuna, having moved over to the sink to clean the dishes, sighed and shook her head again. “You two shouldn't be betting on stuff like that...”

 

 

The white-haired woman chuckled to herself. “Oh, don't you worry, Yuna. This is easy munny. _I_ have Kairi's type pegged. She's the kind of person who always performs best under pressure.”

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Kairi had read (and seen) about the various transformation magics that had effected Sora, Donald, and Goofy through their travels, transformation to both blend in with their environs, and – in some cases – to survive the world itself. She already squeed over the utter _adorable-ness_ of Sora's lion form, plus his strange, Gothic Halloween outfit (“I guess he's suppose to be a vampire?”), plus Sora's appearance as both an old-timey black and white cartoon and a computer program. And then, of course, there was the form most relevant to Kairi's current situation – Sora's merman form.

 

 

Prior to warping down beneath the waves and surf of the vast oceans that made up the majority of Atlantica, Yuna did her best to assure the Key Bearer that the enchantments woven into their battle clothing would transmogrify them when they arrived into the world, trying to dissuade Kairi's fears of drowning and being crushed by the untold fathoms of pressure.

 

 

But, beyond that, Kairi was very much looking forward to a trip to Atlantica. Growing up on the Islands, she had come to love the water – her elemental namesake – sometimes spending endless hours swimming in the ocean or her family's pool on her days off. The sea, the water, the life that teemed through it's depths... they were all things the redhead loved and was fascinated by, and so an entire world of that stuff seemed right up here alley.

 

 

And then Kairi arrived on Atlantica...

 

 

Her and all three Gullwings had taken on proper forms to adapt to the ocean waters – just like Yuna had said – in the same vein as Sora's merman forms. For all four girls, everything below their waist was replaced by the tail of some sort of aquatic creature. Kairi's form was the closest to Sora's, being a cetacean tail with rosy pink coloured skin, but the Gullwings were variations upon the theme. Rikku's was clearly based on a clownfish (to the surprise of approximately no one), striped white and orange with bands of black; Yuna had the lower body of a weedy sea dragon, light blue scales, with a tail ending with a slight curl, broad, leaf-like fins elegantly floating about her; and Paine, fitting for herself, was based off the most fearsome of creatures, with her ending with a dark-grey coloured shark tail, complete with a sharp, angular dorsal fin.

 

 

The problem that Kairi was having, however, was that, in addition to their lower bodies, the transformation had robbed the four of all of their clothing, and had only provided them with the scantest piece of covering imaginable. While Paine was wearing an athletic tankini that covered everything save her midriff, Kairi, Yuna, and Rikku only had their chests covered with a clam-shell bikini top.

 

 

“This is ridiculous! This is obscene!” Kairi ranted in embarrassment. Her face was blushing hard, with her arms cradled close to her chest to cover up more of her body. “Why did the fairy's magic do this? Are we really going to fight and explore like this?”

 

 

“You're panicking over nothing. All the locals probably look like this, so no one of importance will see us and think any differently.” Paine dismissed coolly. The temporary mershark was already busy scouting the area. It was peaceful. Only rocks and plant-life and water as far as the eye could see.

 

 

“It's the principle of the matter, Paine!” Kairi protested, haughtily, still covering herself. “Besides, of course you'd say that – you're properly covered up! Why do you get to be dressed like that?” Paine just shrugged, causing the Key Bearer to grumble in annoyance.

 

 

“Oh, come on Red, don't be so down!” Rikku swam over to the pouting Princess and smacked her on the back, trying to cheer her up. Kairi was having none of it, so the mischievous blonde tried another method of attack. “I mean, just think about it, if we're dressed like this, then Sora probably was, too...” Kairi's eyes dilated, shrinking into pinpricks, as the mental image formed in her head. “Can you see it? Your little loverboy swimming around here topless....”

 

 

Kairi was still a little sore from the needling and taunting the day before, but she wasn't made of stone, and couldn't help her imagination from running. _Oh, he's been running around the world for so long, I bet he's in great shape. His chest and abs they must be... oh! Oh dear..._

 

 

Kairi soon found herself lost in the reverie of a hormone-induced daydream, as all three of the Gullwings tried to get her to come back to the real world, all three of them calling her name repeatedly.

 

 

“What? Huh? Whazz goin' on?” She blinked, shaking her head furiously. “I certainly wasn't think about Sora's broad, rippling chest and eating -” Rikku broke out into a great Cheshire grin, as Kairi caught herself and stopped. “Er, I mean... what's going on?”

 

 

Yuna coughed into her hand. “You just sort of... spaced out there for a bit. But, on the topic.” The brunette mage looked between her two companions. “We just want to apologize for getting on your case for the last few days. About you and Sora, I mean. We obviously took things and little too far and we're sorry for it.” Judging by Yuna's tone and choice of words, she was speaking about one energetic, blonde, Gullwing in particular, but Kairi dismissed her regardless.

 

 

“It's okay, Yuna. I should apologize for reacting the way I have been.” At the very least, the constant talk about her and Sora and her crush had at least given Kairi a bit of pause, some time to think about herself, her feelings, and what she wanted. “Clearly I have some... complex feelings on the subject and I need to work through them.” She had yet to find an answer from her soul-searching, but she was confident she would, eventually. “But, that's not important right now. We came here for a reason, so let's find that Stone, everyone!”

 

 

“And that's where Rikku comes in!” The impish blonde shouted, raucously. “Ta-da!” Rikku pulled out a small, electronic device and began to fiddle with the buttons and dials.

 

 

“What even is that, Rikku?” Yuna asked her cousin.

 

 

“Where were you even carrying that...?” Kairi wondered in a sotto voice.

 

 

“Hey, remember when I said I wanted to copy the radar program for the _Kelvin_ and create a portable device?” The others nodded along with Rikku's query. “Well... it's finished!” Rikku presented the device, proudly. To Kairi, it sort of looked really similar to a handheld video game system with a big bulky antenna attached. “Time to take this baby on it's maiden field test!”

 

 

“You made that thing waterproof, right?” Paine asked, snark lacing her voice.

 

 

The Al-Bhed inventor took offense to that question. “Of course I did! What do you take me for?”

 

 

“A flighty, scatterbrained ditz.”

 

 

“I was going to use the term 'airhead'.” Kairi noted.

 

 

Rikku mockingly mouthed both of their responses back, before going back to fiddling with the device, burying herself in her work for a while. Eventually, the little radar began to respond to something, emitting a variety of electronic noises – the _bleeps_ , the _sweeps_ , and even the _creeps_.

 

 

“Well, Rikku? Where do we start looking?” Yuna asked her cousin.

 

 

Rikku's response came in the form of a gesture. She pointed upwards, one finger aiming up to the endless expanse of water above the quartet.

 

 

Up above, the shadow of a gigantic ship passed overhead.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

A few days had passed since the skirmish on Atlantica. It turned out the Blackheart Stone was mounted on the prow of someone's wedding ship (“This is probably going to be the oddest location we find one of these.” Kairi had said, at the time). While the Stone was quickly alerted to the presence of the Key Bearer and her companions, summoning a colossal sea serpent Heartless, the four warriors gained a handle of their mermaid forms fairly quickly, allowing them to maneuver in the water with grace and ease, and fell the Heartless in short order.

 

 

With the Heartless and Stone destroyed, and Atlantica secured, the team left in a short order, setting their course for the next world and the next Stone (Kairi noted that this world did not appear in any shape or form in Sora's journal; this would be their first mission flying blind), and Kairi and her team set to while the time away by continuing Kairi's training.

 

 

Her magic training with Yuna was going along swimmingly. Kairi's elemental spells were still the highlight of her repertoire, as now Yuna had her work on shaping the form of her spells into crazier and wilder forms, while attempting to maintain both power and consistency. Through this, Kairi found that she had a much easier time working with her Fire and Water magic than any other spell, leading to the dual-eyed girl lecturing her on the concept of “Elemental Affinity”.

 

 

“Basically,” Yuna began to explain while Kairi used the edge of Destiny's Embrace to keep several volleyball-sized flame aloft, batting them into the air and juggling them all around her, “Each person has a natural, inborn affinity to one or more specific kinds of magic, that is set from very early on in life. Affinity usually applies to the elemental Black Magic spells, but it can also relate to the more esoteric nature of White and Green Magic, too. Regardless of what class of spell you have affinity for, the end result is always the same: you naturally and instinctively have stronger control over those spells, and with that control comes greater power, more efficiency with your mana, and your ability with those spells will grow at a faster rate. So it is very fortunate that we have identified some of your affinity spells. Now, we can work even harder on perfecting them...”

 

 

While Kairi's elemental magic was her strong suit, she was also making progress in other areas, as well. Now that she had used Reflect in the field, in the heat of battle, it only took a few more hours of practice for Kairi to get that down pat, too. Cure and Esuna were also slowly improving, too. A single cast of Cure no longer completely wiped Kairi out, and she was able to keep Esuna stable and cast it successfully and consecutively, even if her range was still a little short.

 

 

Still, it wasn't all good for the fledgling Key Bearer and apprentice mage. While her Reflect magic had made progress, Kairi was still faced with a major roadblock regarding Protect and Shell. The two Green Magic spells still gave her quite the difficult time, and, just as Yuna had said, until she had the mastered along with Reflect, it meant no Time Magic for her.

 

 

In other area of training, Kairi still drilled daily with Paine, still dueled with her, as well, and still was consistently getting the floor wiped with her body, too. At the very least, Paine had taken up her shield when fighting Kairi, which was encouraging. The Keyblade Wielder was growing enough that she could push the veteran warrior to fight with more and more strength and skill, to put more effort in order to test Kairi and challenge her. It was a definite and tangible proof that Kairi was growing, little by little.

 

 

Though, even with her burgeoning talent and power, even if she was progressing, Kairi had yet to eke out a single win against Paine. She had come close, just like their last duel before landing on Beast's Castle, and she had come even closer since then, but Kairi never pushed enough to clinch victory, always slipping up right before the finishing blow.

 

 

And that's where Kairi found herself now, at the end of a busy day of exercise, and magic lessons, and physical training, once more dueling Paine. Their fourth of the day, with Yuna witnessing the proceedings (the standings stood at thee for Paine, nada for Kairi, as to be expected). Despite the long day of training and sparring, the two had been going at a sustained and furious pace for the better part of five minutes, and didn't seem to show signs of slowing down. Kairi, in fact, had no intention of slowing down. The redhead was certain her opponent outclassed her when it came to stamina, so she had no expectations in being able to grind out a win. She needed to push the advantage and settling things in a hurry.

 

 

While, along with basically everything else, her skill at swordplay and physical strength had risen in recent days, Kairi was still sticking to her stick-and-move strategy, darting in towards the dark swordswoman, hitting a flurry of light blows, and then retreating, forcing Paine to chase, and then launching a flurry of spells to further wear the woman down.

 

 

With one such flurry, Kairi flung a series of icy knives at Paine, who easily blocked the attack with her shield, sending the frozen projectiles scattering and shattering about. The Key Bearer took this opening for all it was worth, dashing off to the left, around Paine's guard, to try and strike at her exposed flank. Paine was too quick and too sharp for such a tactic, however, quickly pivoting to face Kairi, Destiny's Embrace's teeth skidding off the surface of her shield, just like the Blizzard spell.

 

 

Paine rushed forward, shield still out, pushing Kairi backwards, while also thrusting forward with her sword. The redhead weaved about the lunging strikes, trying to keep ahead of the pressure, but she knew, sooner or later, if she stayed on this course, Paine would push her back into a wall, and then she would be done. Tapping into her magic, and performing what was quickly becoming one of her signatures moves, Kairi summoned a geyser of scalding water and aimed it underneath, using the force to launch herself into the air, tumbling over Paine and her sword, landing on all fours behind the dark swordswoman. Crouching low to the ground, the Key Bearer twisted herself around, one leg extended outward, hooking behind Paine's own appendage, intending on sweeping the woman off her feet and sending her sprawling across the ground.

 

 

That's what Kairi intended. Instead, her leg just bumped against Paine's kneepit, barely causing her to budge, let alone tumble over.

 

 

Kairi winced and cursed herself. _Oh, why did I think sweeping the leg would work?_

 

 

Paine spared her a disdainful look, clearing thinking along the same line as Kairi, before tossing her sword into the air, freeing her right hand, and using it to the snatch the prone Key Bearer by the ankle, effortlessly pulling and tossing her up as well. Paine's sword fell first, the white-haired woman deftly catching it in one hand, before rearing back to strike at the descending Princess. Quickly, Kairi conjured a gust of wind from her left hand, the stream of air blowing outward, causing Paine to stagger against the force, while Kairi was sent flying by the force of her own spell, coming to an unsteady landing, where she needed a few steps to steady and balance herself.

 

 

In the time it took Kairi to get her footing back, Paine was already charging head on, shield out in front of her body, broadsword held to her right side. Kairi immediately went to test Paine's defences with a quick series of fireballs, all of which were snuffed and nullified against the surface of the magical shield. Paine continued unabated.

 

 

_That's fine. That's fine._ Kairi planted her feet, taking a wide, steady stance, and holding her Keyblade at the ready. Her eyes remained locked on her opponent, deeply studying her pose and moves. _She's going for a horizontal slash from the right, I'm sure of it. Perfect time to give that a try then..._

 

 

Kairi continued to lightly pepper Paine with spells, not really trying to hit her, just to further push the woman and bait her further and further in. And, indeed, just as Kairi predicted, once Paine came in range, she reared back with her right arm and shoulder and swung at Kairi, broadsword slicing through the air and aimed at around the redhead's midsection.

 

 

Paine lashed out, with Kairi lying in wait. Waiting. Waiting. Until the last moment – at the very last moment – when the edge of the blade bare inches away from her, the Light Wielder threw up a glimmering wall of interlocking hexagonal mirrored panels. Paine's sword collided with Kairi's Reflect spell, with the latter winning out definitively, the weapon bounced off the magical barrier, the sheer might of the impact throwing Paine off-balance, and causing her sword to fly out of her grip, clattering to the ground behind her.

 

 

With her opponent disarmed and disoriented, Kairi slipped in past Paine's guard and launched another spell, this time with much purpose. Like back on Olympus, she formed her Water spell into the form of a long, flexible whip, launching it out, and coiling it around Paine's shield, before tugging towards herself, trying to rip the shield from her grip. But, Paine held on strong, refusing to be robbed of all of her equipment, instead falling down to both her knees and planting the shield face down, removing Kairi's leverage. The redhead tried for one more sharp pull, but found both weapon and wielder unyielding, as Paine shot forward with a jab from her right hand.

 

 

A desperate dodge followed, Kairi practically limboing under Paine's outstretched arm, before severing the end of her whip from the shield. As fast as she could manage, the Key Bearer snaked the remains of the water whip around Paine's arm, before weaving around her body and torso, entrapping the older woman so that her left arm was pinned at her side and her right arm was bent over and behind her shoulder. Finally, without grace or subtlety, Kairi simply ran into her opponent, pushing all of her weight and might on top of her target, in a bid to knock Paine over and maybe finally secure a win.

 

 

The darkest of the Gullwings toppled onto her back, Kairi mounted on top, forearm held to the woman's collarbone, while her Keyblade was held high in the air, ready to come down and strike. Kairi's body and vision remained tight and taut, not taking her advantage for granted, still thinking her wily veteran warrior may have one or two tricks up her sleeve.

 

 

A tense moment passed, as Kairi and Paine exchanged hard looks, before Paine shut her eyes and nodded slightly. “You win.”

 

 

“I won.” Kairi repeated, softly.

 

 

“I won?” She said again, more disbelieving.

 

 

“I won!” She said in triplicate, this time, a proud, triumphant smile spreading across her face. Kairi was overjoyed to have finally overtaken that hurdle, her entire body trembling. Though, that could have just been the adrenaline leaving her system.

 

 

The Key Bearer went to help her fallen opponent up. “I can't believe I finally beat you, Paine.” Yuna flashed her a smile and thumbs up from the corner of the room.

 

 

“Don't let it go to your head, just yet.” Paine responded, coolly. Even beyond her normal demeanour, Kairi could tell Paine was happy for her, too. “You've got a long to go, still.”

 

 

“Yeah, I know. But, hey, got to give me some props for winning right?” Paine just shook her head.

 

 

“Except you haven't beaten me, just yet. Finally tally for the day was three-one in my favour. You still lost, overall.” Kairi looked a little miffed at that realization. She frowned, deeply. “So don't go celebrating prematurely.”

 

 

“So, what, I have to finish the day with a winning record to graduated from the House of Paine?”

 

 

Paine went to collect her discarded sword. “No. To complete your training, you have to finish the day undefeated. No loses.”

 

 

Kairi's shoulders slumped forward, as she felt the air leave her lungs. If there was one thing Paine could do well, it was spoil someone else's party.

 

 

“But... that's impossible!” Kairi complained. “Winning four or five straight matches against you? There's no way I'm going to be able to do that.”

 

 

“Don't say anything is impossible, Kairi.” Yuna said, coming from behind the redhead. The brunette offered a gentle pat on the shoulder, to avail her spirits and to commend her on her hard work for the day. “You've accomplished so much so far, and hasn't even been three weeks since we left Hollow Bastion. Imagine what you can do after another week. After another month.”

 

 

Paine strode over to the doorway of the gym, stopping briefly to turn and address her trainee. “Don't think of it as one impossible, challenging goal. Break it down into smaller steps. You got your first win. Now, try and win at least once every session. Then, try and get two wins. Try to finish with a day in a draw, or a winning record. _Then_ , aim for a perfect victory.” Kairi nodded along with Paine's advice, but only half-listening, lost in thought once more. “Anyways, you two are on dinner duty for the night. I'll see you then.”

 

 

Kairi mumbled a farewell, her contemplative expression not missed by the brunette gunslinger.

 

 

“Is something the matter Kairi?”

 

 

“Uh... not exactly.” The Princess idly scratched at her arm, while turning towards her friend. “I was just... has it really been that long since we left? Since we started all this? It's all been a blur of overwhelming fear and exhaustion and joy and accomplishment. I lived it and I can't really believe it.”

 

 

Yuna smiled brightly at Kairi, before patting her on the arm again. “Believe it, Kairi.” Yuna looked at the redhead, up and down, once more giving a fair appraisal to the fledgling adventurer. To the person she had placed absolute faith in. “You've come a long, long way in terms of time, distance, and – most of all – your progress. And we've only just started. The four of us still have a long way to go, and I'm certain you'll only flourish and grow even further.”

 

 

Kairi flushed from the praise. “Uh... thank you Yuna. Thanks, again, for everything.” The dual-eyed girl nodded.

 

 

“Anything to help, Kairi. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to start prep for dinner. Go wash up in the shower and join me when you're ready. After that, we'll do more training tomorrow, followed by a rest day beca-”

 

 

“Because we'll be at our next world the day after that.” Kairi interjected. “I got it, no worries. And I'll be along in the kitchen shortly.”

 

 

The two then went their separate ways, Kairi rushing to the bathroom to strip herself of her sweat-drenched training gear, desperate to get clean and soak her aching muscles in a cascade of scalding, cleansing water. She made her pace halfway between enjoying the shower and rushing through it, wanting to help her friend with their mutual chores, but also taking a bit of time to, once more, reflect on her recent train of thought.

 

 

“I've come a long way, and I've got a long way to go, yet. But, all I have to remember, is that every step I take brings me closer and closer to Sora. If I keep my eye on that, then I won't fail again. I can't let myself fail again.”

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Namine briefly glanced at her hand, before returning to work.

 

 

“Okay, let's see.... The veg and the fruit, a cooler to keep the perishables in... a new sketchbook, the pencils... I think that's everything....”

 

 

Namine muttered to herself, sitting on a park bench while sifting through her shopping bags and making certain she had absolutely everything that they needed. The Nobody had taken a sojourn away from her sanctuary on the play island and into the town of Salm – Sora and Riku's hometown, and Kairi's adopted hometown – a place that she had been to a dozen times, while combing over Sora's memoryscape, but now it was her first time in person. Namine... didn't like being here. Much like being on the child's island and The Secret Place, it felt like she was just an intruder, barging into a place that did not belong to her. That's why she was being so meticulous in checking off her shopping list, to ensure she wouldn't have to make a return trip anytime soon.

 

 

But, the shopping trip was still necessary, so the slight blonde had swallowed her guilt and misgivings and braved her way into the sleep township, to gather the supplies she and Riku needed to continue surviving in the shadows. Riku was in no state, physically or psychologically, to perform this task, after all. Though, he did provide the spending munny (and Namine didn't want to think too hard as to what he did to get this munny...). So, she had gone forth to collect what was needed: food, water, medical supplies, blankets and pillows. And then, with what was leftover, she grabbed some things that were more “want” than “need” – a fresh sketchpad and some new pencils, plus a lovely little sunhat to ward off the heated rays from beating down on her fair and delicate complexion.

 

 

“Alright, time to go.” Namine told herself, gathering up her bags, and then hurriedly made her way back to the beach where she had parked her rowboat.

 

 

She didn't belong in Salm, anyways. Even if everyone she had ran across treated her with the utmost kindness she had ever experienced in her short, miserable existence, Namine knew she was still the intruder, the invader, the alien. She was just a shadow of someone who did belong in the peaceful community, but was forcibly ripped away. The horrid little witch that had hurt the people who lived and grew up in this slice of paradise.

 

 

_I do wish Roxas was here, though._ Namine thought, despondently. _I wish he had been able to come and see this place, if even just once. He deserved so much better..._ Namine proceeded down the path to the shoreline, stumbling through the haze of her own despairing thoughts, until a familiar voice cut through to her.

 

 

“Do you think we should put up more?” The voice was high-pitched, normally very chipper, but was currently sounding quite glum.

 

 

_No. No. Not her. Not them._ Namine knew she was better off just pressing forward and ignoring the girl, that nothing good would come if she involved herself in this. And yet, against her own judgement, the blonde came to a stop and craned her head in the direction of the speaker.

 

 

Three girls that were all around Namine's age (well, they would be, if Namine was a natural being instead of an inhuman monster) stood on the other side of the street, standing about a telephone pole, having just taped something to it. The speaker had brown hair, cut short and curling at the ends, wearing a sunshine yellow garment that was an odd hybrid between a dress and a pair of overalls. The two flanking her included one girl with jet-black hair, tied into a low ponytail, and dressed in an orange ruffled shirt and white capris, and a a green-haired girl, her hair in more of a crimped and kinked style, wearing a green camisole and shorts, with a shawl tied at her waist.

 

 

Namine knew who they were. She suspected it was them when she had heard the brunette speak.

 

 

Selphie Tilmitt. Garnet Alexandros. Rydia Mystere.

 

 

Kairi's girl friends from school.

 

 

Namine swallowed, feeling even more like an interloper and a thief than before, wanting to just move on and away, but then her eyes fell on what the three had pasted to the pole. A missing persons poster. Baring an image of Kairi. In fact, looking further down the side of the street they occupied, Namine could see a trail of similar posters up and down the line.

 

 

“I mean, there's probably a threshold to how many we could put up in one area and it's maximum effectiveness.” Garnet answered, in a soft, weary voice. Rydia nodded, holding on to still more posters.

 

 

“Plus, we only have about a dozen of these left.” The emerald-haired girl explained. “If we want to put them up elsewhere, we'd need to print more off.”

 

 

Selphie nodded, as well, clearly down about something. “Yeah, you guys are right. Let's go some place else...”

 

 

Throwing a comforting arm around the usually happy-go-lucky girl's shoulder, Rydia said, “Come on, Selph. Cheer up. Thing's will work out, I just know it.”

 

 

“Yeah. Yeah. I know. It's just... I can't help but feel I'm partly responsible, guys...”

 

 

“Selphie, don't say that!” Garnet censured, coming close to her friend just like Rydia had, trying to buoy her spirits. “This is not your fault, or anyone's. This is just a bad accident. A really bad accident...”

 

 

“But it is, guys. Before Kai vanished, she was going on and on about the play islands and finding Sora and Riku!” Selphie whimpered in fear and pain, closing her eyes shut. “And I just told her to ignore it. I should have taken that stuff more seriously. I should have helped Kairi!” The brunette sighed, deeply. “I should have been there to help my friend.... And now she's gone...”

 

 

Immediately, Rydia wrapped the other arm around Selphie, pulling the girl into a deep hug. Garent placed a soothing hand on Selphie's back, as well.

 

 

“Shh, shh, it's okay, Selphie...” Garnet said. Selphie nodded along to the words, but she still looked like she was about to breakdown into tears.

 

 

“If you're at fault for what happened, then we all are.” Rydia explained. Selphie had taken to burying her face into the girl's shoulder. “We all knew how much Kairi missed the boys, and how she believe she felt something was calling her to them. Hell, the week before she vanished, she was talking about all sort of weird things. Magic and monsters and other worlds.... She was growing crazier and more depressed, we all could have done more.” Rydia gripped at the fabric of Selphie's dress, knuckles turning white.

 

 

Namine stood, watching the scene unfold, paralyzed by fear and guilt and indecision. The Nobody just wanted to sprint over and pour her soul onto the trio, telling them everything that had happened and that Kairi was okay. In danger, but okay. That she had ventured out and was trying to find the boys and bring them all home, happy and safe and together...

 

 

But the dark voice that nestled in the back of her head whispered to her, preventing the blonde from doing anything else but observing.

 

 

In the meantime, Rydia and Selphie had broken apart, both looking very sad. Selphie was sad-sad, Rydia was angry-sad. Namine knew that expression well. The green-haired girl was frustrated at herself and her situation.

 

 

“But... and I don't know how, but I think Kairi is okay.” Rydia said, through clenched teeth. “Wherever it was she went, however she left here... I think she's okay. And she is looking for Sora and Riku. She couldn't live without those two no matter what, so of course she'd try and bring them back...”

 

 

Finally, Selphie cracked the barest, thinnest smile imaginable. “I.. I believe you, Ryd. Somehow, somewhere, I know Kai is doing alright... I hope...”

 

 

“You two have the right of it, we should keep faith.” Garnet surmised, offering a warm smile to the two. “But, we still have work to do on our end.” She pointed to the remaining posters Rydia possessed. “Let's go to the rec center and put the rest up in that area.”  
  


 

“Right.” Selphie agreed. “I also want to check in on Kairi's mom. See how she's holding up.”

 

 

With their course set, the girls turned to leave down the street, but, as they did, Selphie's eyes fell upon Namine. They fell upon Namine staring intently at them.

 

 

“I'm sorry, is something the matter? Can we help you with anything?”

 

 

In the moment, Namine quavered and shook under the gaze of Kairi's friends, even if they were just being kind and curious. Muttering an indecipherable response, Namine pulled down the brim of her hat, as far as it could go, before turning heel and running. Bolting towards her destination. Trying to put as much distant in between her and the girls as she could. To run as far away from her guilt as her legs would allow.

 

 

But it was a fool's errand. Namine could never outrun her guilt. She could never escape. It bound her, weighed her down, constricted her very being, like a chain.

 

 

_I'm such an idiot! Thinking I could be of any help to them. Thinking I deserve to talk to them! That's Kairi's life, not mine. I don't belong here, I don't belong here..._

 

 

Namine furiously rowed her way back to the sanctuary on the play island, away from Salm and it's people, back into the shadowy fringes where she belonged.

 

 

Making her way back into The Secret Place, Namine thought of the other denizen of the dark she was living with. Days ago, Riku had stumbled out of Dark Corridor, bleeding and breathing laboriously, his entire body freezing cold – dangerously so. Namine had done her best to patch him up, but without any magic of her own, she could only do so much, forcing Riku to stay put in the cavern, recovering and convalescing as best as his body could manage. Which wasn't much, considering how much damage his current form was causing him. While Riku hadn't said much in the intervening time, he had explained enough about the debacle on The Land of Dragons for Namine to draw a big enough picture. That his body was wracked with pain internally, causing him to collapse and seize up at the worst possible moment. And that there was no telling when and where this could happen again.

 

 

Riku had to do something about the shred of hell that was Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness, that still lived on within him. But nothing he or Namine could come up with seemed to be the answer. Or point them closer to the answer.

 

 

In a moment of weakness, when Riku first returned after escaping the avalanche, Namine's only thought that entire night was “He is going to die like this. Riku is going to die.”

 

 

And with every day that passed, that fear seemed to become more and more actualized.

 

 

Namine entered the cloistered sanctuary of The Secret Place, glad to be out of the sun and to be able to put her bags down. “Riku, I'm back. I was able to get just abo -” Namine's foot hit something, sending an object skittering across the ground. The sound of glass against stone echoed through the small cave. Curiously, Namine reached down and felt for the offending item, before retrieving it. It was a glass bottle with a label that read “Kingmaker Brewing Presents: Island Kahuna Tropical IPA”.

 

  
“Riku, have you been drinking beer?” Namine accused him, staring dead into the shadows which he inhabited.

 

 

“No.” Riku shifted about. More glass scrabbled against the stone floor. A beat. “...No one is going to card me with a face like this.”

 

 

Anger flashed through Namine. _You actually went in to town for this! While I had to go through that just now?_ Her fist wrapped around the beer bottle. _Why you little..._

 

 

Namine pushed away her anger and frustration, busying herself by sorting through the groceries. “Say, Kingmaker. That's the brewery that -”

 

 

“That Sora's dad works at, yeah. Yeah. That's Yakumo's place...” Riku finished for her, punctuating it with a sigh. More of Sora's memories quickly flashed through the blonde's head, clear as day in her minds eye. Riku cared deeply for Sora's family and vice-versa, being this close but so far away must hurt him dearly.

 

 

_But I know what he would say if I told him to go see Sayaka and Yakumo..._ Namine shoved the chilled icepacks into the small cooler she had purchased, before filling it with all their perishable items. _Even if he didn't look like Ansem, like Xehanort, he would make up some excuse how he couldn't go back without Sora and Kairi._ Riku could be so noble and self-sacrificial, it bordered on stupid sometimes.

 

 

And yet, that was something Namine did admire about her companion, she had to admit.

 

 

“Hey, Namine...” Riku said a time later, while Namine was busy breaking in her new sketchbook. She had chosen to christen the first, fresh page with a self-portrait. It had been a while since she had drawn herself. “I... I should have told you this before, but I saw something while I was buried in that avalanche...”

 

 

“What? Don't tell me, let me guess... ice and snow?” Namine said darkly, not even looking up from her work.

 

 

Riku took no offence from the comment, and continued. “No. It was... a vision. Another world. Somewhere out there. A blasted wasteland, full of discarded Keyblades...” Namine stopped sketching, her eyes widening in terror. Knowing terror. “And there was a suit of armour? A sentinel? Something or someone was watching over this place, speaking to me. I think I had met them before, and they were calling me to this world. They told me to find them, and that they would help me find my path again.”

 

 

“No. No!” Namine shouted, suddenly standing up. Her voice rang out through the cramped confines of the cave, even taking her by surprise, slightly. “Riku, you can't go there. You absolutely cannot.”

 

 

“Why not? What do you know?”

 

 

“Only... Larxene told me about a world like that once.” Namine's breath hitched, as she mentioned and recalled her tormentor. “Xemnas had been looking for that world, and was looking for something on that world. One day, he, Xigbar, and Xaldin traveled there, and she said they had encountered a living suit of armour, which immediately attacked Xemnas. Even with the three top officers of the Organization there, they were easily bested by the armour and they had to retreat. She said they were badly injured, too. And that, afterwards, Xigbar had claimed he could hear the armour speak inside of his head. But only one word: 'Xehanort'.”

 

 

Once more, Riku's form shifted in the darkness. “Even if that is true, I can feel something in my heart pulling me to that place.” Placing a hand on the wall, Riku slowly and shakily started to stand up as well. “I haven't felt anything stir in my heart since I first encountered Roxas. Since I first realized he was Sora's Nobody. I have to go there, no matter what. I just know I do.”

 

 

Namine wasn't hearing this, at all. “You don't understand. If you go, you'll die! I know that!” Even though she had only heard this story secondhand through Larxene, there was something about it that always resonated with Namine. Something familiar, and something that terrified the girl to her core.

 

 

“I'll die if I stay here.” Riku countered, firmly. Peering into the shadows, Namine could see he was trying to make the motions to conjured a Corridor. He couldn't possibly be planning to go now, could he?

 

 

“Then go and find Kairi! Go find The King! Do anything else!” Namine pleaded, voice rising higher and higher. “You have all this power and yet you just wallow around her all day. God, if I had half the power you had, the things I would be doing right now...” Riku winced and shied.

 

 

“I don't have _enough_ power. That's the problem. That's always been the problem. My weakness was why Maleficent was able to manipulate me. It's why I had to tap into this shard of darkness to beat Roxas...”

 

 

“Even if that's true,” and Namine certainly did not believe it was, “you can still go about and find Kairi, easily enough. All you have to do is -”

 

 

“I can't go and see her. I can't!” Riku snapped, yelling viciously at her. “How many times do I have to tell you? I can't!”

 

 

Namine stopped in her tracks, flinching at both the volume and the fierceness of Riku's voice. He had never yelled at her like that before.

 

 

“I can't go see her looking like this, looking like the enemy. I can't see her without Sora at my side. Without fixing the problems I created. I can't -”

 

 

“Stop making excusing!” Now, it was Namine's turn to yell, and, in the moment, it felt good. She was tired of Riku and his verbal evasions. His justifications for his cowardice. “You can see her anytime you want to, and you know – you absolutely know – she will be able to see to the real you, and that she will forgive you. Because that's the kind of person Kairi is! It doesn't matter to her what you have done, what mistakes you've made, your her friend Riku! Her brother!” Namine threw her book to the ground in frustration, fuming and huffing. It felt satisfying to get all of this off her chest...

 

 

...At least, that's what she had thought, at first. But, soon after, guilt crept into the space the anger at left. Namine felt sick for snapping at her friend like that. Riku was the only person in the entire Realm that cared about her right now. One of only three people who had shown her any kindness in her existence. Him, and Sora, and Roxas.

 

 

_One of them, I almost destroyed his heart. The other I let DiZ use in his twisted plans. And now, I just blew up at the third..._

 

 

_You're terrible, Namine. Simply awful._

 

 

After a very long and awkward pregnant pause, Riku finally formed a Dark Corridor. In sullen tones, he said, “....I'm going to that world, Namine. I'm going to find that armour and find the truth. Find my answer...

 

 

“Or die trying.”

 

 

Riku vanished into the swirling portal, leaving Namine all alone.

 

 

The anger and frustration quickly returned to Namine, as her face screwed up in disgust, her hands balling up into fists.

 

 

Guilt and rage and fear and sorrow churned within her empty, hollow husk of a body, before the Nobody left the cave again, letting loose a primal scream at the situation.

 

 

At Riku.

 

 

At herself.

 

 

At the futility of all of it.

 

 

“Riku, Sora, Kairi, Roxas... I wish I could help. I truly do...” The blonde muttered miserably, as she aimlessly strolled across the sand. She wanted nothing more than to be able to fight alongside them; to assist Kairi; to heal Riku; to rescue Sora; to go back and time and save Roxas.... But Namine possessed no Keyblade, no magic, no skills or abilities of any kind, other than the memory powers that only inflicted harm and suffering to others.

 

 

_But maybe...._ Namine's hand fell onto the left side of her chest, where her heart should be, if she wasn't a Nobody. _Just maybe, my connection with Sora can help at long last. Maybe, finally, I can help others instead of hurting them..._

 

 

Namine glanced at her left hand, for just a moment, eyes widening in alarm at the sight. For a few brief moments, the appendage began to flicker and flash, fading and go ghostly and translucent. The phenomenon spread from her fingertips to just down her wrist, pulsing and ebbing, before it all returned to solid flesh once more.

 

 

Shaking like a leaf, but still pressing on, Namine held her left hand in the other. If she was going to help, she had to get to work immediately.

 

 

_Riku isn't the only one living on borrowed time, after all..._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you guys Namine would be in for a rough time in this story. The tragedy and misery have yet to come to an end for our poor memory witch. And it seems Riku is on a collision course with Lingering Will. At least it's not like LW is the strongest entity in the universe at this point in time and hates everything and anything having to do with Xehanort, whose form Riku is assuming right now.
> 
>  
> 
> So, another bridge chapter to tide us over between worlds, with a series of vignettes between Kairi and the Gullwings, as they continue their adventures together. It's a little weird, having had a bunch of these scenes in the back of my mind for years and years, but only now finally expressing them. I hope I'm doing myself justice in finally getting them out of my brain.
> 
>  
> 
> Also, while I think I've strongly positioned myself as a SoKai person, that hasn't really come to the forefront into the story before this point. Up to know, it's just been Kairi's idolization of Sora, not her true feelings. But, I've gotten in it in my head that Sora basically knew he had strong feelings for Kairi as he was growing up – probably about 12 or so – but Kairi didn't understand what she was feeling until fairly recently. The end of KH I to be precise, when Sora and her return to Traverse Town and are briefly reunited before being pulled away. That's when Kairi began to realize how much she cared for Sora. 
> 
>  
> 
> And she's kind of a jumbled mess about it. Being a fifteen year old girl, this being the first time she's felt like this, it being her best friend, realizing these feelings only to be separated for a year, without any to work them out, and all the other chaos in her life has her overwhelmed. She's got a lot of things to work out, a lot on her plate, but I'm certain those two kids will get through this. Me (and you, too) are rooting for them.
> 
>  
> 
> But, that will bring things to a close. As always, please feel free to leave thoughts, predictions, comments, and criticism at your leisure. Any and all input is welcomed and appreciated!
> 
>  
> 
> Until next time, let the light guide your path forward.


	13. Big Trouble In Little San Fransokyo

**She Will Light The Way  
Chapter Thirteen  
Big Trouble In Little San Fransokyo**

 

 

Kairi and the Gullwings beamed down the surface of the world, appearing in a flash of light.

 

 

This was a big step for Kairi. There was no record of this world in Sora's journal, and none of the Gullwings recognized it, either. Sure, it was possible that Sora had visited it on his first journey, but Kairi felt like this was uncharted territory. No longer could use rely on Sora's goodwill and the bonds he had forged. But, by the same hand, Kairi could now truly begin her own story, write her own destiny, make her own mark.

 

 

She was, in turns, both nervous and excited about the mission.

 

 

The world the quartet arrived on was dominated by a truly massive city. Massive and modern. So modern, in fact, it bordered on ultra-modern. Far more than either Twilight Town or Kairi's home on the Islands. She would be inclined to be impressed – with the grand scale of the street and skycrapers, the city teeming with technology on every corner – if the entirety of the cityscape wasn't covered in a thick blanket of fog, rolling into the city from the water of the bay it was situated on. So thick the fog was that Kairi could feel it cut through her clothing and their enchantments, soaking through and chilling her to the bone. An opaque screen overwhelmed her vision, so that she could only see shadows beyond five-feet before her, and couldn't see even that much further beyond. Neon lights were filtered through the fog, dyeing the bank in bright, almost sickening colours.

 

 

It was also deathly silent and still, as Kairi and the girls investigated further. For such a large city, it was strange that there was no one around. Hell, the entire place looked abandoned. Cars just left in the middle of the street. Houses and businesses boarded up. Refuse and garbage piling up.

 

 

_It's just like Twilight Town, but worse. Way worse._

 

 

And soon, they would find the reason for the city's emptiness.

 

 

The Heartless.

 

 

The shadowy little monsters came on, strong and hard, swarming the Key Bearer and her allies within five minutes of their arrival. As Kairi and the Gullwings played clean-up, she couldn't help but notice how eclectic the mix of Heartless were. Some were humanoid – styled after samurai and ninja and even oddly womanly-looking Heartless designed after geisha. Others were animals – tigers and crows and lion-dogs – and some were more robotic looking. But almost all of them had a bit of futuristic bent; covered in metallic plating and circuitry lines, armed with lasers and plasma blades. Kairi had noticed that the Heartless had a habit of taking forms that blended in with the world they were native to – or, more correctly, made a mockery of that world's lifeforms and culture – so she could helped but wonder just what exactly what this world was like.

 

 

When the last of the several dozen Heartless finally did fall, Kairi dismissed her Keyblade, and turned back to her companions. “Rikku, get the radar out. If the Heartless are going to be this aggressive, I don't want to waste time wandering in the fog. Better we get a straight heading and go right for the Stone.” Kairi ordered, polite yet firm. The Gullwings had christened her Leader, after all, and now that she was finally out of her funk, it would be better if she leaned into the role.

 

 

“Already on it, Red!” Rikku retorted, with a casual, mocking salute.

 

  
Of course, it would be easier to play into the role if _some_ of her teammates played along....

 

 

While Rikku fiddled with the radar, Paine sidled up next to Kairi, the silver-haired woman keeping up a wary stance, on guard from anymore attacks. “Kairi, there's something I've been meaning to ask you, regarding the Organization.” Kairi looked up to her friend, curiously. “How many of their members have you seen, have you met?”

 

 

“Well, let's see.” In her head, Kairi began to sift through the various Nobodies she had encountered, both as a prisoner, and as a fighter. “There's Xaldin, obviously. Who is dead, thankfully. Then, there's also Axel. But he's both a traitor to the Organization, and is also dead. I think.” Kairi had watched Axel get his arm broken, have a hole torn through his chest, have his spine broken, and then hurled into an endless abyss. That would be fatal to any normal living being, but the Nobodies were clearly made of sterner stuff. “Beyond those two, there would be Saix, Xigbar, Luxord, Demyx, and then, their Superior, Xemnas.”

 

 

“Wait, Demyx? Was he the one with the flat-top haircut and the sitar?” Yuna interjected from across the way, standing next to her cousin. Kairi confirmed the question, leading to Yuna nodding in comprehension. “He's gone, too. We saw Sora defeat him back on Hollow Bastion.”

 

 

“So that would mean at least four of them have perished...” Paine muttered to herself, head lowered down, holding her chin between her thumb and forefinger. Kairi narrowed her eyes, trying to understand what Paine was getting at, verbalizing her confusion.

 

 

“What does this have to do with anything, Paine?”

 

 

“On Olympus, that Nobody we faced wasn't the real deal. It was one brought back to life by the Organization's Superior.” Paine began to explain, recapping the recent events of their adventure. “An 'Absent Silhouette' was what the were called. That means, despite the name, there aren't currently thirteen humanoid Nobodies running around. But I would still like to know our enemy's exact strength.”

 

 

A terrible thought popped into Kairi's head. “Wait... if Xemnas can just revive Nobodies over and over again, how are we going to win this? We could just be facing an endless army of them. Do you... would we have to fight Xaldin again?” A shiver ran down Kairi's spine, and it seemed the thought didn't just cause her to feel fear. She could see Yuna blanch slightly, Rikku nervously shifting on her feet, while Paine grunted and scowled.

 

 

“Possibly, yes.” Paine put forth, bluntly. “But we don't know the exact limitation of this power. It could be he can only bring back each Nobody once, or the Superior has to spend a lot of energy to perform this. Or any number of other handicaps. The only things we do know is that there are anywhere between four to nine members of the Organization left – most likely less than, since the scarred-one said 'waning numbers', specifically – an opposite number of dead ones that can reappear as Silhouettes, and – thankfully – the Silhouette Nobodies are weaker than the real deal.”

 

 

That was true. For all of Lexaeus's monstrous strength, he didn't take anywhere near the amount of punishment it took to bring Xaldin down. Nor did he wreak havoc on her and the Gullwings with the savage ease the lance-wielding Nobody did. And Kairi couldn't believe they had all gotten that much stronger in that short a time.

 

 

_Plus... why would they send a real Nobody after us first and then make a Silhouette?_ Kairi thought. She hadn't really given much attention to the encounter in the Underworld since leaving said place, but now Paine had gotten her started. _Shouldn't the reverse be true? Did we spook them by killing Xaldin? Are their numbers really that low, so they're sending out expendable pawns to play it safe...?_

 

 

“I got it!”

 

 

Kairi snapped out of her train of thought with Rikku's declaration, who was waving the Blackstone radar above her head, whooping raucously.

 

 

Paine and Kairi approached Rikku and Yuna. “Well? Where are we going?” Pained asked.

 

 

“Alright, let's see here...” Rikku gazed down at the monitor, orienting herself to try and make sense of the reading. “So... we're gonna go straight down thatta way...” Rikku pointed in the direction of what was probably once a well-trafficked thoroughfare for the city. “For about four-hundred meters. Oh, and then the thing is three-hundred and thirty-three meters up. In the air.” The blonde shot her index finger upwards for demonstrative effect.

 

 

The other three girls all started in confusion and shock.

 

 

“I'm sorry, what was that?” Kairi asked, purely gobsmacked.

 

 

“Well, y'know, three-hundred and thirty-two-point-nine, but I was rounding...”

 

 

“No, I mean... how exactly are we going to reach this thing if it's that high up!?”

 

 

Paine was already moving in the direction of the target. “We'll figure that out when we get there. Let's at least go and scout out the area.”

 

 

The four made their way further into the city. Once more, they seemed to be the only souls inhabiting the fog-shrouded metropolis. Just the four girls and the Heartless. It was eerie and unsettling. Deeply troubling for Kairi. Just like in Twilight Town, this meant the whole city had been overrun by the Heartless, the hordes of monsters ushered to this world by the Blackheart Stone. By the Organization.

 

 

_It all keeps coming back to that._ Kairi thought grimly, after she and the Gullwings dispatched yet another spawning of Heartless. Just how many innocents have been hurt because of the Organization? How many had been struck down and turned into Heartless? How many had their hearts freed, only to then be bound to Kingdom Hearts? Trapped and helpless, all for the purpose of regaining the hearts they had once so callously cast away. Kairi seethed as her stomach roiled, taking in the enormity and the horror of it all, anger rising in her throat. How she wanted nothing more than to make each and every one of the Nobodies suffer for what they had done.

 

 

“Okay, so it looks like whatever structure the Stone is sitting atop of, it's the middle of a big, circular clearing.” Rikku explained to the others, eyes locked to the radar's screen, as they grew closer and closer. The fog had not abated at all. If anything, it had grown thicker the closer the quartet got to the Stone. Was the obelisk somehow responsible for it?

 

 

“Any other features you can tell us?” Paine queried back.

 

 

“Uh... the plaza is mostly clear, maybe some trees and other small fixtures. It's surrounded on all ends by buildings no taller than four stories... there are gaps between the buildings, eight of them, spaced out evenly, wide enough for a couple people to pass through, but nothing bigger like a car...”

 

 

Paine's eyes sharpened, trying to peer through the opaque veil of fog. “Doesn't seem like we'll be able to get a vantage point to get closer to it....”

 

 

“I could try firing spells at the Stone.” Kairi offered. The Stones had to be, and could only be, destroyed by the Keyblade, but that should work, right? A spell from a Keyblade should be as good as a slash of it. “Or maybe use my Light from a range.”

 

 

“We're also overlooking the Guardian.” Yuna pointed out. That was correct, too. Seeing as how Kairi destroyed the Stone before it's Guardian could spawn, it had been sometime since the crew had fought one of them. “They don't act like regular Heartless. They seem to prioritize protecting the Stone and targeting those that go after it.”

 

 

Kairi furrowed her brow in concentration. All of that was true, but what form would the Guardian take this time? Another flier like Camazotz? What else could properly guard something that high in the air...

 

 

The group continued to strategize as they continued their approach. More and more Heartless stood in between them and their destination, but they were more a nuisance than a challenge. A roadblock to overcome rather than a drastic threat to their lives. But, if there was ever a clear sign that they were headed in the right direction, it was the rash appearance of more and more Heartless.

 

 

Finally, after seemingly wandering the twisting, sloping, foggy city streets for what seemed like a small eternity, the quartet found themselves outside of a cluster of buildings – most likely office spaces, judging from their uniform construction and location the city – with the Blackheart Stone located somewhere in the middle. In the middle of that dense bank of fog.

 

 

“This is the spot, Rikku?” Kairi asked. While it had served them well enough on Atlantica, Kairi still wasn't wholly ready to put all her faith in Rikku's invention just yet. But, the blonde nodded in affirmation, eyes still locked on the screen of her device. “Alright... guess it would be a bad idea to just rush blindly into that. Any suggestions?”

 

 

Casting a steely gaze deep into the gloomy miasma, Kairi tried to pierce it and to see what lied beyond. The fog may have well been a steel wall for all the good it did the Key Bearer, as she was unable to discern really anything beyond the alleyway that served as a passage to the center of the pavilion. For all she knew, the Guardian Heartless was already active lying in wait, ready to pounce upon it's prey. Upon the first person foolish enough to stumble into it's well-hidden den.

 

 

“If only there was someway to dispel all of this. Any of this...”

 

  
“Kairi. Try using your Light. See if that works.” Paine offered, catching Kairi by surprise. Both the suddenness of the request, as well as it's nature.

 

 

“Oh yeah! Red's Light should do the trick.” Rikku joined in, punctuating her statement by snapping her fingers. “We've all heard the stories, the Light of Princess of Heart can do anything -”

 

 

“Not anything, Rikku, just many things.” Yuna interrupted, gently correcting her cousin. Kairi grimaced. She didn't really see the distinction.

 

 

“Yeah! Anything!” Sometimes, when she had an idea on her brain or a snappy comment on her tongue, the diminutive blonde could turn into an unstoppable whirlwind. “A little light show and I bet the whole city will be cleared right up!”

 

 

Sheepishly, Kairi rubbed at her left arm and said, “I don't think it will work like that, guys.” Immediately, she could feel the eyes of the Gullwings turn on her. Looking for further explanation. Maybe looking at her with eyes full of disappointment? Judgement? “It... whatever this power I have is, this Light, I don't think I can control it yet. It only seems to come out when it wants to, or whenever I experience a surge of emotion.” Once more, Kairi grimaced, finding it difficult to describe. Her inability to do so made her feel like an idiot. Consciously, she really had only used this Light four times that she could remember. The fight against Camazotz, the fight against Xaldin, the fight against Lexaues, and....

 

 

Memories from a year ago poured back to the girl. The moment she had awoken from a long, long slumber, because of (another one of) Sora's sacrifices. Then, the event in question: Kairi pulling Sora's heart back from the darkness and restoring himself to life, after being turned into a Heartless.

 

 

For a moment, the city and her mission faded away, as Kairi basked in that happy memory. Having Sora in her arms. Being in his arms. Feeling like that was the one time she had actually provided aid to the boy, instead of just being a burden upon him and his quest.

 

 

She couldn't help by smile, doing her best to keep her private emotions just that. Private.

 

 

_That was my Light and my heart. If I could do that back then... well, maybe there's hope for me, still._

 

 

“It's okay, Kairi.” Came Yuna, speaking up after a period of silence. “It's completely understandable you don't have a grasp on that, yet. The Light of the Seven Princesses is usually something only spoken of in myth. Dealing with it in reality... this is uncharted waters for anyone, not just you.” Kairi nodded, clearing her throat, and doing her best to mask the sappy smile that formed when she had thought of Sora. Admittedly, Yuna's words did make Kairi feel a bit better. That she wasn't a complete failure of a Princess. “But we'll help you learn how to use that power, one day, I'm certain of that.”

 

 

“Until then, we should tackle things nice and slow.” Paine stated, before turning to Rikku, who was still idling with her radar. Music and electronic sound effects were originating from the machine. Had she installed some sort of video or game on that thing? Why? How?

 

 

“Rikku, get out one of your grapple wires. We'll tie a portion off around each of our waists so we don't get separated, and slowly move towards the center. We'll make this an exploratory mission, though, and we may have to stay a day or two, see if the fog clears up.” While Kairi had been elected Team Leader, she was more than comfortable delegating and letting others take charge, Paine especially. All three of the Gullwings had plenty of adventuring experience, but Paine moved and acted and spoke with such self-assured confidence and ease, Kairi couldn't help but be both respectful and envious of the older woman.

 

 

Quickly, the Al-Bhed tinkerer got to work with one of her wire, chaining the four adventurers together, Kairi at the head of the chain, Rikku pulling up the rear, with about ten-feet of cable separating each girl. They took a few minutes to put their steps in sync, to make sure there would be no issues, with Kairi leading the way. For once, they were engaged in an activity she had actual experience with, having done this activity multiple times in her adolescence, at summer camps, with both the boys and her girl friends. Admittedly, whenever she had tried this with Sora or Riku, something had gone completely haywire, mostly due to Sora being overly excited and rushing to the point no one else could keep up.

 

 

Four bodies moved as one, one step after the other, as Kairi led her team deeper into the fog, through the alleyway that led to the central plaza. “Keep your eyes peeled for anything, girls.” Kairi had already drawn out Destiny's Embrace, ready for anything. She was already on edge slightly, seeing as how they hadn't been attacked since arriving just outside the Stone's range. “And call it out if you see anything suspicious. Rikku? Anything on the radar?” They had just cleared the precipice of the buildings, crossing into the plaza proper. It was still impossible to see beyond five- or six-feet.

 

 

“Just the same old same old. I'm still working on this thing, so don't expect it to be able to detect Heartless or anything.”

 

 

Everything within the fog bank was eerily quiet, but Kairi could not shake this sense of dread hanging heavy over her heart. And it wasn't like the fear that took hold of her heart in Olympus. No, this was external, something she could just sense around her. Somewhere, beyond the impenetrable veil of fog, was an enemy. A threat. A monster. Something that sought only to destroy Kairi and her companions.

 

 

The sound of thunder cracked the air. The very earth shook beneath Kairi's feet.

 

 

“Did anyone else feel that?” Rikku asked, in a shaking tenor.

 

 

“The dead felt that.” Paine grunted, drawing both her sword and shield. “Stay on you guard! It could come at us from anywhere.”

 

 

But the Guardian was already on top of the four heroines.

 

 

Somehow, despite barely being able to make out anything in the thick, soupy miasma that clouded the city, Kairi could perfectly make out the shape and form of the Heartless within the fog bank, the malevolence of it's being radiating outward and projecting it's own shadow against the fog. It had elements of a crab or a spider; a large, bulky lower body with six spindly legs of an arthropod covered in jagged, pointy chitin. It's upper body was more humanoid, still thick and bulky in it's mass, and also covered in the same chitinous armour as it's legs, but the smooth, flowing lines also invoked the shape of samurai armour. The head of the Heartless was crowned by two oxen-like horns, with it's blank, empty yellow eyes piercing through the haze, as if they had directly locked-on to Kairi.

 

 

And, above all else, this Heartless was large. Huge. Gargantuan. Colossal. Titanic! Towering hundreds and hundreds of feet high. Five hundred? Six hundred? Something in that range. Something Kairi couldn't really ballpark or comprehend. What else could properly guard a Stone that high in the air, indeed...

 

 

The Heartless raised up something in it's hand: a sword sized-up to fit it's massive build, the size of a football field! In comparison to it's size, Kairi and the Gullwings were just pests ready to be swatted. The Ushi-Oni Heartless swung downward...  
  
  


“RUN!” Kairi cried out, partly in panic, partly in awareness of the situation. As of now, they could not fight that thing. Her companions offered no form of resistance or protest, scrambling back to the way they came, minding the length of wire that shackled them together.

 

 

Ushi-Oni brought it's skyscraper of a blade down, slowly plunging it's point into the earth, missing the girls by a wide margin, but it hardly mattered. From the point of a contact, a massive shockwave rippled outwards, kicking up a storm of dust and dirt, grass and concrete and other debris. The rolling wave quickly overtook the quartet, sweeping them away and tossing them to the ground.

 

 

“Cut the wire. Cut the wire.” Paine insisted, a bit of a hurried edge entering her voice. Rikku with her knives and Kairi with her Keyblade set to work to sever the tether, as the Guardian Heartless continued it's approach with slow, lumbering steps. Each one sent an ominous thudding crash to ring through the fog-choked air.

 

 

With the bindings gone, Kairi stood up, but found herself utterly lost in the fog. Disoriented. She had no idea where the passage they had used to enter the square was. She had no idea where anything was, save the titanic figure of Heartless, blackly blaring out against the grey haze.

 

 

_This was a bad idea. Coming in here, totally blind. Way to go, Kairi, you've done it again..._ Even rid of her depressive funk, it seemed she defaulted to blaming and criticizing herself when things went wrong. The redhead gnashed her teeth together. It wasn't constructive. It wasn't helpful. Her faults aside, she needed to push past and get everyone out of this mess.

 

 

_Calm down and think...._ The Heartless was slow, obviously. And there were exits from this square in any direction. So all they needed to do was pick one path and they would eventually find refuge.

 

 

But even that would be a problem. Even if it was slow, the sheer force and range of it's attacks meant getting to a safe distance would be difficult. Not to mention being blinded by the fog.

 

 

Ushi-Oni began to raise it's sword into the air again.

 

 

Numerous lesser Heartless began to spawn into the area, beckoned by the presence of their superior cousin.

 

 

Was there no way for them to be quick enough to avoid this...?

 

 

Like a shimmering light standing in relief to the darkness, the answer appeared before Kairi.

 

 

“Yuna! You can cast Haste, right?” Kairi turned to the ex-Summoner, hopefully, then thankfully, as Yuna nodded in reply. “Great! Cast it on all of us and we'll make a retreat, faster than that thing can hope to keep up.” Yuna shifted, nervously. “What?”  
  


 

“It's a good idea, Kairi, but Haste is very complicated. I don't know if I'll have the power required to get it on all four of us.”

 

 

“Can you manage three?” Paine inquired, earning another nod from the brunette. “Good. Get it on the rest of us, and I'll carry you.”

 

 

“Are you sure? Even then, this is awfu-”

 

  
Kairi broke in, out of desperation and necessity. “Yuna! We don't have time to come up with another plan. Haste us, now!” She really was starting to sound like a leader...

 

 

In quick turn, Yuna fired three golden magical bullets at her allies, the spellfire scoring a glyph beneath the feet of Kairi, Rikku, and Paine – that of a golden clock face, it's hands spinning wildly out of control. A rush of energy surged through Kairi's body, her entire being buzzing and jittering, as if she had ingested her own body weight in pure sugar. Golden auras flared to life around the three woman, cutting away at the fog, beacons of a bright light in a sea of lifeless grey. It only improved visibility by an iota, but they would take any tiny amount of help they could get right about now.

 

 

Quickly – very quickly, impossibly quickly – Paine slung Yuna over her shoulders in a fireman's carry, before she and her companions zoomed away from the Heartless and the Stone, golden lights cutting bright swathes through the chilling fog bank.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**   
  


 

Kairi, Rikku, and Paine kept running long after Yuna's Haste spell wore off, trying to put as much possible distance between them and Ushi-Oni as possible. They ended up finding refuge in a vacant warehouse located on the city's waterfront.

 

 

The warehouse, and the entire waterfront, were as abandoned as every other part of the city.

 

 

They spent the better part of an hour trying to draw up a counter to the situation, trying to come up with a solution to the big problem they faced. Rikku strongly put forth bringing in the Gummi Ship from orbit to bombard the titanic Heartless, but was repeatedly shot down by Paine and Yuna; that if one errant blow struck the ship, it could irreparably damage it, stranding the four of them on this world. Yuna's idea was to just have her and the other Gullwings distract the Ushi-Oni, while Kairi made a beeline for the Stone, but Kairi had her own issues with that plan. Namely, she didn't like the idea of using her friends as bait, the Heartless would most likely prioritize her above all others, and there was still no plan for how Kairi would actually manage to reach the Stone high in the air.

 

 

It was a frustrating, fruitless hour that left the four girls exhausted – physically, emotionally, and mentally – as well as with an air of defeat about them. This was the first real obstacle they had faced regarding the Stones, and the irritation was showing.

 

 

“This is getting us nowhere.” Paine finally said with a huff, idly kicking at some industrial junk that was strewn about on the floor of the warehouse. Paine was the only one still up and about, Kairi and Yuna having made a makeshift bench out of some lumber, while Rikku crouched up on top of an oil drum. “We might be better off calling it for the night, finding a place to rest. Hell, maybe the fog will clear up tomorrow.”

 

 

That was the other issue to tackle, besides the sheer size of the Guardian. However they chose to confront this, they would be fighting in severely reduced visibility, and the fog seemed to do little to hinder the Heartless.

 

 

“If we can even find a place to take us in this ghost town.” Rikku muttered, winding a single braid round and round her index finger. “I haven't seen a metropolis this empty since Zanarkand... and the less said about that comparison, the better.”

 

 

“There has to be someone out there! The place can't be completely abandoned.” Came Kairi, earnest and passionate as she was. Obviously, things had taken a turn for the worst here, but she couldn't imagine the inhabitants of this city being washed away in a tide of Heartless. Or, rather, she _didn't want_ to imagine that reality.

 

 

Paine nodded. “Let's tour around town a bit longer, then. If we can't find anyone or anything by sundown, we'll warp back to the ship and go from there.”

 

 

“Agreed.”

 

 

As the heroic quartet began to pack up and depart, a commotion rang out through the space beyond the warehouse. Not just banging or rummaging or the scrabbling of Heartless, it was something more. Yelling. Voices. Signs of life. Kairi looked to each of her companions, as they all looked to her and to each other, to confirm they were all hearing the same thing.

 

 

In an instant, the four broke out of their safe haven and back into the misty streets of the city, in the direction of the noise. The sound seemed to bounce off of and be dampened and warped by the heavy cloak that draped over the waterfront, but Kairi and the others were still able to zero in on the source without much trouble. As they got closer, they could tell it was more than just talking and yelling, but also the all too familiar sounds of combat. Someone or something out there was fighting. Kairi imagined it was the citizenry of the city finally fighting back against the monsters that had put a stranglehold upon their home. She would be more than happy to help them take it back...

 

 

Kairi and the Gullwings turned a corner, crossing over into an area populated by endless rows of shipping crates and found the source of the noise.

 

 

Kairi knew her imagination could sometimes get away from her, that sometimes her expectations could betray reality, but when she though of the people of this city – it's brave defenders, it's heroes! – doing battle with the Heartless... this is most certainly not what she had in mind...

 

 

Six.... beings (it was hard to tell if all of them were human) all dressed in an array of brightly coloured and properly coordinated armoured costumes, and they were currently entangled with a squadron of this world's native Heartless. And they were losing. Badly.

 

 

“Baymax! Rocket punch! Rocket punch!” Cried out a diminutive boy clad in purple plated armour that covered most of his upper body, leaving his legs mostly bare. Bulky gauntlets covered his hands, while his face was entirely covered in a helmet, the same colour as his armour, a clear blastshield revealing he was scrawny youth, maybe a few years younger than Kairi.

 

 

The purple boy was standing behind, and apparently ordering, a large and bulky being completely covered in armour. The vast majority of the armour was bright red, save for some purple banding at the midsection, while it's helmet revealed a blank, white, nonhuman face. Before the red, nonhumanoid being was one of the large lion-dog Heartless, crouched low to the ground, ready to pounce on the two.

 

 

At the boy's orders, the being blinked in confusion, before rearing one of it's car engine-sized fists up. Slowly. Too slowly. The lion-dog Heartless struck, charging forward and bowling the big red guy over.

 

 

“ _Oh. Nooo..._ ”

 

 

Strangely enough, with the Heartless mounted atop it's prey, it paused for a moment to study the being, before seemingly losing interest, not even bothering to strip the red guy of it's heart, changing target to the purple boy.

 

 

Elsewhere, a pair of girls were also struggling with the Heartless, dealing with a murder of crow Heartless and a troop of the ones clad in ninja garb. One of the girls was rail thin and quiet tall – taller than even Paine – made all the more taller by her chunky platform boots. Long honey blonde hair cascaded out of the back of her helmet, while she was dressed in lightly armoured in a suit coloured in an array of purples, pinks, and violets. The other girl was virtually the opposite of her companion in terms of body composition, short and squat at the hips and thighs. She was adorned in a tight bodysuit, like that of a speed skater, with yellow armoured plating worn over her upper torso, arms, and shins.

 

 

Like their two companions, the girls were having issues dealing the Heartless, but at least they looked to be armed. To an extent. The tall pink girl had a... purse slung over her shoulder. Or maybe it was some sort of computer? Kairi was having trouble discerning the truth, as the girl rapidly typed on a digital interface set into the purse, dispensing a series of colourful orbs. The crows swarmed in on her, causing the girl to panic and lash out, hurling her orbs everywhere, ungainly and blindly, each of them failing to miss the mark, detonating in empty air and ground, and leaving behind patches of ice and some sort of gelatinous substance.

 

 

The shorter, dark-haired woman had two small discuses mounted to each of her wrists, while larger wheels were set in and attached at her ankles, seemingly granting her velocity and mobility. That was the theory at least, as the yellow-armoued girl zipped around, trying to keep up with the shinobi Heartless, but she proved to be woefully outmatched in agility and in numbers. One of the Heartless sideswiped at her, before kicking her away, sending the yellow girl skidding along the asphalt, colliding with the pink girl, tripping both of them up.

 

 

“Get away. Get away from me! I don't know where you've been, so I would prefer if you kept your grimy claws off of my person!

 

 

Further along, closer to the edge of the water, a muscular, well-built black man was dealing with more of the Heartless. Well, less “dealing” and more “backing away, clearly distraught by their presence”. This one wore his hair in a neat fringe of short dreadlock, armed in heavily-reinforced, bulky turquoise armour, with particular attention placed on his gauntlets, judging by the design and purpose. Shimmering blades of energy erupted from the edge of the gauntlets, triangular shaped and jagged, but the man was waving them feebly and ineffectively in the air, trying to dissuade the Heartless from approaching.

 

 

“Fear not, Wasabi! The Darklings are no match for the ferocious might of Fred-zilla!” Bounding into view came the strangest being yet. Initially monstrous in appearance, it was clearly a man wearing a monster suit, like something found on a cheesy B-movie or one of those _tokusatsu_ shows Sora loved so much. Bipedal in form, and covered in light blue scales, three bulbous, unblinking reptillian eyes dominated the torso of the thing, with a circular mouth set in where a person's belly would be, while flame-like crests rose among it's back and arms.

 

 

The man-in-the-monster-suit stood between one of the Samurai Heartless and his panicking friend, before charging, letting loose a valiant battle cry. With one swing of it's _kanabo,_ the Samurai sent the man flying into the distance with a shriek of, “I was wrooooooong!”  
  


 

To say the least, Kairi was at a loss for words, given both the form of these would-be heroes, and their performance.

 

 

“I-I-I... am I this bad?” She finally managed to say. Kairi knew it was wrong to be so judgemental of others, especially given her skill and experience, but that was just the first phrase that popped into her head and out her mouth.

 

 

“You were never that bad.” Paine returned, surveying the scene with a cringing grimace.

 

 

Steeling herself, Kairi tried to push away the critical thoughts. Besides it being wrong to cast such shade on others, she had to admire these people. It took a lot of courage to step up and try to defend your home from the invading horde of monsters tearing it apart, regardless of your abilities. Not to mention, every hero had to start somewhere. Usagi Tsukino didn't just get her powers and go right on to defeat Queen Metaria. She had to work at it, to grow as a hero and as a person. In a way, Kairi could see a little of herself in the six heroes of this world.

 

 

“Well, I think we've all gawked enough.” Kairi declared, arming herself with Destiny's Embrace. “Let's give them a hand girls!”

 

 

Immediately, Kairi broke into a sprint, charging at the lion-dog baring down on the purple boy. She threw her Keyblade ahead of her, the flowery weapon turning end over end, before embedding it's sharp teeth into the hindquarters of the Heartless. That did more than enough to catch it's attention, as it reared back, thrashing wildly in a bid to find it's assailant. Before it could get a beat on her, Kairi dropped down to the concrete ground, baseball sliding her way beneath the belly of the Heartless and out to the other side, now imposing her body between it and the purple boy. Quickly, Kairi got back to her feet, recalling her Keyblade while she was at it. The Heartless turned to face the critical threat to it's existence, snapping and snarling mutely, but Kairi did not panic or wither. Instead, she unleashed a powerful stream chilling water right in the face of the lion-dog, the deluge knocking it backwards, creating a bit of separation between it, Kairi, and the boy. Before it could recover, Kairi unleashed another burst of magic – a chilling, freezing pulse of blue energy – the struck along the forequarters and head of the demon, catching it's soaked form. In an instant, the remnants of the Water spell crystallized into an frosty sheen that sealed the head and neck of the Heartless within a chunk of ice. With intent to finish the job, Kairi charged forward again, smashing into the half-frozen monster with a double-handed swing, shattering the ice, demolishing most of it's body, and causing the remains of the Heartless to burst apart and vanish.

 

 

Kairi took a moment to admire her handiwork, before turning her attention to the rest of the battle. As expected, the Gullwings were making quick work of the other Heartless, as well. Yuna and Rikku had gone to assist the two girls, with Yuna sniping down the crow Heartless, while Rikku had herself a speed duel with the ninja. Paine, meanwhile, was single-handedly taking care of the Samurai that had vexed green man and monster man.

 

 

In less than a minute, it was all over.

 

 

Rikku and Paine meandered about the edge of the are, while Yuna went about making sure everyone was okay, hale and healthy. Kairi took a similar approach, dismissing her Keyblade and helping the purple boy up to a standing base. At the same time, the one in red slowly clambered to it's feet, it's limbs moving stiffly and... almost robotically. When upright, the thing shuffled over to where Kairi and the boy were standing.

 

 

“ _Hiro. Are you okay?_ ” It said, it's voice tinny, clipped, and very stilted. Now that she was up close, Kairi could get a better look at it's proportions and the little piece of it's face revealed through it's helmet. It wasn't human, so just what was it?

 

 

“No, Baymax, I'm fine.” The youth insisted, dusting himself off. He then turned, looking up to Kairi (which was strange, Kairi rarely found herself standing this much taller than others), and said, “Well, thanks to you guys, we're okay. Uh, tha-”

 

 

“ _Scanning._ ” An electric thrum radiated from the being known as Baymax, it's beady black eyes locked on the boy, Hiro. “ _You have a. Minor contusion. Located on your. Left bicep. Remedy: I suggest a. Cold ice pack. To reduce pain and. Swelling._ ” Hiro grabbed at his upper arm in annoyance, but then winced in pain, proving Baymax correct.

 

 

Kairi looked bewildered at the two and their exchange. There was more to this than she was seeing, certainly, but what?

 

 

Just then, the four other armoured individuals came striding forth, to rejoin with their companions. Like Hiro, they all seemed unscathed, but they wore expressions of defeat and frustration.

 

 

“Well, that went well...” The short girl in yellow groused, sourly, rotating one shoulder while clasping it with her free hand.

 

 

“I agree!” Came an energetic, nasally, but very chipper voice from behind the monster-suit. Clearly he had missed the sarcasm in the previous statement. “Yeah, sure, there's room for some improvement, but considering this is the third official mission of Big Hero 6, I'll give this a very generous B-plus!”

 

 

The short girl scowled and bark backed. “And stop calling us that!”

 

 

“While I admire Freddy's optimism, you must admit... that wasn't our best effort.” The tall girl stepped in between her two friends, clasping her hands, and smiling diplomatically. “But, we have our new friends to thank for their help.”

 

 

The muscular man in green nodded in agreement, looking between Kairi and the Gullwings. “Yeah, you guys really saved out butts back there. Don't know where you came from or what you're doing here, but thanks a tonne.”

 

 

“Oh, right.” In all the commotion, Kairi had forgotten the most important part. She had met knew friends, so it was important to begin their relationship on the right foot. With a smile, an extended hand, and an introduction.

 

 

“Allow me to introduce ourselves,” in turn, Kairi pointed to each of her companions. “Over there is Yuna, Rikku, and Paine. And I'm Kairi.” Drawing her hand outward, offering it to the young boy, smiling fondly at him. “It's a pleasure to meet you.”

 

 

“Uh, yeah...” The kid removed his element, revealing a mussy mop of black hair. “Good to meet you, too.” The boy returned Kairi's gesture. “I'm Hiro. Hiro Hamada.”

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

The group of ten ended up retreating to the safe confines of the warehouse Kairi and her entourage emerged from. Along the way, Hiro finished returning Kairi's kindness, and introducing his friends as well.

 

 

“So, these are GoGo Tomago,” Hiro pointed to the short, standoffish girl, black hair clipped short with a single purple streaking running through it. “Honey Lemon.” Next, the tall girl, who turned out to be GoGo's opposite, sunny and chipper. Then, Hiro turned to the black man. “Wasabi.”

 

 

“Anyone else getting hungry?” Rikku commented under her breath, causing both Kairi and Paine to elbow the blonde in the ribs.

 

 

Hiro continued, not noticing the little spat.

 

 

“And this is -”

 

 

“And I'm Fred!” The man in the monster suit bounded forward, crowding up against Kairi and Hiro. The central eye of the suit popped open, like a porthole, revealing the face of a gawky youth with a bulbous nose. “And together we are....” Fred began to trill and roll his tongue, miming a drum roll, as he scampered about, gather up all of his friends together, grouping them up around the warehouse grounds. With all the preparation done, Fred threw his arms into the air, boisterously declaring....

 

 

“BIG HERO 6!!!”

 

 

Fred struck an exaggerated, dramatic pose, but his enthusiasm was not shared by his teammates. Hiro, Honey, and Wasabi stood about, sheepishly, not really sure what to do with all this. Baymax stood about, perfectly still, save for his odd eyes, which blinked. GoGo, however, huffed and frowned, her body language broadcasting scorn and disdain to the world.

 

 

Once more, just like when the six were struggling with the Heartless, Kairi and the Gullwings didn't exactly know how to react to... such a display. Kairi, at the very least, offered a shaky, but genial smile, still trying to extend the hand of friendship. After all, she was certain this was what Sora would do.

 

 

_Then again, he was always so much better at making friends than me. People always just sort of gravitated to me, and I went along with it. He would go out and seek new people to make friends with..._

 

 

“So... you guys are superheroes, then?” She finally managed to say. Personally, Kairi wouldn't call herself a fan of superheroes, per se, save for her any story involving magical girls, but she could imagine Sora would be in heaven being here, meeting these people. Once more, nostalgic childhood memories flooded her mind, remembering how many times Sora and Riku would rush to the comic shop after school to spend their allowance munny on whatever new and exciting book they could get their hands on. Hell, she was pretty sure that (up until being torn away from home) Sora would still get up early on Sunday morning to watch _Exceed Force_ and _Arma Kaiser_ , the same two live action superhero shows he had been watching since he was a little kid.

 

 

Fred had held his pose the entire time, while the others awkwardly shuffled about.

 

 

“Yes we are!” Came Fred.

 

 

“No. We are not.” Countered GoGo, arms folded across her chest in a defiant pose.

 

 

Kairi turned about to her party, trying to find support, and/or determine what they were making of all this. Paine was inscrutable. Yuna seemed to be putting on a happy face like Kairi. Rikku's eyes were excitedly darting back and forth between the six. Why was she getting so worked up?

 

 

Suddenly, Baymax stiffly waddled forth, taking a prominent position at the head of the group. “ _I am not a. Super. Hero._ ” He(?) It(?) responded (Kairi still wasn't sure what to make of Baymax, or what nomenclature to use). Slowly, Baymax waved on of his bulky arms in a very tight, rigid semi-circle. “ _Hello. I am Baymax. Your person healthcare companion._ ”

 

 

With that, it all clicked for Kairi.

 

 

“Oh, he's a... robot?” Kairi said, slowly, feeling a bit silly for taking this long to catch on. In hindsight, it all made perfect sense.

 

 

Hiro, however, didn't make any fuss of any sort over Kairi's reaction or her slowness on the uptake. “Yeah, sorry, probably should have started with that. Guess even in San Fransokyo it's not normal for someone to be walking around with their own robot.” Hiro chuckled, causing Kairi to laugh along, as well. In the interim since the fight and their meeting, the members of Big Hero 6 had removed some of their armour – mostly just their headgear – in lieu of the lack of combat.

 

 

Moving over to wear Baymax stood, Hiro looked at the big red robot with a critical eye. “Now, let's take a look at you, big guy. See if you got banged up in the fight...”

 

 

Meanwhile, Rikku was still buzzing in the background. Paine cast her an annoying glare, but did nothing more.

 

 

With a bit of effort – considering how much smaller Hiro was compared to Baymax – the young teen manage to remove the large breastplate covering the robot. With the armour removed, it revealed Baymax's body was bulbous and white, made of some sort of semi-opaque plastic covering, and very rotund in shape, forming a “belly” that extended beyond the remainder of Baymax's body.

 

 

Kairi watched on with rapt attention. She wasn't anywhere close to being tech savvy, but still, the display was highly fascinating. She had never heard of a robot with a body made of a soft tissue like plastic. Shouldn't it be all metallic with hard lines and angles? Not to mention, in the armour, Baymax looked strong. Big. Barrel-chested. For the lack of a better word, heroic. But with the plating off, and his little tummy spilling out, he almost looked like his real form was just a big, cuddly plushy.

 

 

“ _EEEEEE!!!_ That's it! That tear's it! I can't take it anymore!” All eyes in the room fell on Rikku, who was hopping up and down on her feet, trembling with joy and anticipation, as her high voice sliced through the air. “All this tech in this room, but the big guy just puts it over the top! I gotta get my eyes and hands on that stuff!”

 

 

A tiny, orange-coloured blur began to dart around the room, taking everyone by surprise, as Rikku glommed on to each heroic youth in turn.

 

 

Rikku sped up to GoGo, grabbing her by the ankle, taking the standoffish girl off her feet, and inspect the wheel mounted to her ankles.

 

 

Or, rather, the wheels _hovering_ about her ankles.

 

 

“Electro-mag suspension! Brilliant! No resistance, maximum velocity!” Rikku's hands went to work, paddling up and down on the curvature of one of the wheels, causing it to spin and rotate with insane speed.

 

 

GoGo growled threateningly. “Hey, hands off, you -” Before she could finish the verbal barb, Rikku had gone off to her next victim, practically climbing on top of Wasabi.

 

 

“Blades made of laser-induced plasma!” Rikku activated one of the gauntlets, causing said blade to blaze to life. Wasabi looked panicked at the deadly weapon emerging, even as Rikku continued to play with it. “And do I see some a magnetic confinement system? To increase precision?”

 

 

“Well, yes, that is true, but you really shouldn't play with – HEY!”

 

 

Once more, Rikku darted away, rushing up to Honey Lemon, who, unlike her friends, seem to anticipate the ineraction, a big beamish smile on the tall girl's face.

 

 

“And what do we have here?” Honey's smile just about vanished when Rikku ignored her, and went right for the purse still hanging from her shoulder. Only just now, Kairi noticed an oddly familiar pattern set into the side of the device. It looked like the periodic table of elements...

 

 

The Al-Bhed girl quickly hammered down on a series of buttons, causing a series of colourful orbs to spit out of the end of the purse. “Instant chemical reaction and combination? All from one portable device? Revolutionary!”

 

 

“Well, thank you, but...” Honey stammered nervously, as Rikku sauntered away, haphazardly juggling a handful of the chemical balls. “Please be careful!”

 

 

“Should we really be letting her run wild like this?” Kairi whispered to Yuna, as Rikku carelessly tossed the balls away, unleashing a series of gaseous explosions on the far end of the warehouse.

 

 

“ _Working with. Chemical agents and. Reactions. Without. Proper. Safety gear. Is hazardous to one's health._ ” Baymax intoned, as Hiro continued to inspect the robot, wholly engrossed in his work.

 

 

“She's just... very passionate about technology and science.” Yuna put forth, clearly searching for the proper words to it all. “She's excitable, but not reckless. It should be alright.”

 

 

“”Should be...'” Paine repeated, in a less optimistic tone.

 

 

“And this!” Rikku was now standing in front of Fred, right up in the face, er... eye of his suit. There seemed to be little and less tech involved in the monster suit, so Kairi could only wonder what Rikku's reaction would be. “...A big, doofy mascot suit! I love it!” Rikku flew into a fullsome and energetic embrace, one which Fred happily returned.

 

 

“A ha! I see, you too are someone of wealth and taste!”

 

 

“Of course Fred would get along with this little maniac...” GoGo groused, her lips fused into a hard line, barely moving as she spoke.

 

 

“I apologize for her behaviour.” Paine said, walking up besides the smaller woman. Now that Paine and GoGo were next to each, and now that Kairi had seen Rikku next to Honey Lemon, she couldn't marvel over the fact how similar yet different the two pairs were. GoGo and Honey were as if someone had shrunk down Paine and stretched out Rikku. “We try to control her, we really do, but it's a losing effort.”

 

 

“Oh, hush up!” Rikku countered, her tone still light and jovial. “It's about time we get to a world where we can have some fun!”

 

 

“Sometimes, you have a bit too much 'fun', Rikku...”

 

 

The blonde ignored Paine's barbs and finished her loop of the warehouse, making her way back to Kairi, Hiro, and Baymax. “And here is the finale of all this wonder!” Rikku shoved the Key Bearer and the tech genius aside, taking in the entirety of Baymax. The vinyl robot only blinked, as the manic blonde looked up with worshipful gaze.

 

 

Then, Rikku shoved her head up against Baymax's body, pressing it into the plastic sheath as far as the covering would allow.

 

 

“PVC covering, forming the outer shell.” Rikku's muffled voice came, before she pulled her head back. If she was buzzing before, now she was vibrating, her pitch growing higher and higher, words pouring out faster and faster. “A metallic endo-skeleton formed of some kind of lightweight composite.” Rikku waved a hand in front of Baymax's black eyes. “Optic sensor. And all backed up with some kind of killer A.I. program!” Once more, Rikku flew into an embrace, clutching tightly onto Baymax's soft body, the robot returning the gesture after a brief moment of inactivity. “This is soft vinyl robotics, isn't?”

 

 

“Soft vinyl what?” Kairi parroted, a little steamed to have been tackled aside, as she picked herself and Hiro up.

 

 

“Soft vinyl robotics! It's cutting edge! The future of healthcare technology. Smart enough to diagnose any ailments in it's patient, strong enough to assist in any issue, but soft enough as to not injure anyone. It's incredible!”

 

 

“ _Correct. I have been designed to. Aid in the. Recovery and well being of. Human patients regarding their. Physical. Mental and. Emotional. Health._ ”

 

 

“Wow, you really know your stuff.” Hiro sounded sincerely impressed with both Rikku's knowledge and passion. Rikku wriggled about in Baymax's arms, smiling proudly.

 

 

“Well, you know, I'm not formally trained or anything, no fancy degrees or whatnot, but I have my fields of expertise. Computer science. Mechanical engineering. A bit of chemistry.” Still holding on to Baymax, Rikku leaned backwards, arching her back so that she was facing Hiro, looking upside down. “You're gonna be a pal, right, kid, and tell me all about how your built him, right? Right?”

 

 

Hiro blanched, looking away from Rikku and her piercing, intense stare. “Well, actually... it was my... Baymax was built by... my brother...”

 

 

“Well, can you introduce me?” Despite the clear discomfort Hiro was presenting, the blonde did not let up, tearing away from Baymax and approaching Hiro with intent, encroaching on the boy's personal space. “Scratch that, before you do that, can you tell me all about him? Is he like you? Is he not like you? What's his type? Is he single?”

 

 

At this point, Hiro was visibly sweating, his breathing ragged and shallow. “Tadashi is uh... Tadashi is...”  
  


 

“Rikku, that's enough.” Kairi called out, trying to keep her voice even. Something about this didn't seem right. Hiro's behaviour and reaction was setting off all sorts of red flags in her mind. She put a hand on the blonde's shoulder, trying to get her to back off. Reality seemed to return to the girl, as she was now looking on at the clearly distressed boy.

 

 

After another pause, and in a very small voice, Hiro finally managed to say, “Tadashi is dead...”

 

 

Everyone could feel the air let out of the room, even GoGo and the others, who most likely knew of this fact. Hiro shrank away, as Honey came by to put a comforting arm on the boy's shoulder.

 

 

“Oh, I'm so sorry kid... I didn't know...” Rikku murmured out, sounding legitimately remorseful for her prying.

 

 

“I guess we have some explaining to do. As to why we're like this.” Came GoGo, speaking for her group. Her eyes also fell on Kairi and the others. “As do you guys, too.”

 

 

And so, the two groups went forth with the arduous task of explaining one another's tales. Kairi went first, taking point for her and the Gullwings, and divulged everything to Hiro and the others. The Keyblade. The Heartless. The Organization. The Blackheart Stones. All of it. Even the part about being kidnapped and Sora exchanging himself for her freedom, something Kairi had avoided informing Sora's friends and allies about. It actually felt good to get off her chest, and everyone was supportive of Kairi and the ordeals she had endured. Though, she was a little surprised the collective superheroes took the concept of other worlds so well, not to mention anytime the clearly science-minded group brushed up against magic or anything supernatural, they would cite something called “ Clarke's Third Law” and move on. All and all, Kairi thought it went pretty well.

 

 

After Kairi finished her spiel, Hiro took to telling his side of the story. Well, he tried, but the young teen kept tripping over his words, or getting worked up emotionally, standing aside to let his friends step up and speak for him. It turned out, Hiro could legitimately be called a genius, having graduated high school at thirteen. However, he then sort of languished about, not doing anything with his life. So, his older brother Tadashi took it on himself to push Hiro along, introducing him to GoGo and the others and directing him to enroll in the school they attended, the San Fransokyo Insititue of Technology. In order to do so, Hiro participated in a sort of student showcase the school was holding, in order to obtain a scholarship.

 

 

That night, however, was when things took a turn for the worse.

 

 

“...After the showcase ended, there was a fire in the main building. Tadashi being Tadashi, well... he ran in to try and help anyone trapped inside.” Hiro continued, speaking in a very small, strained voice, clearly still reeling from having to relive this night. Kairi definitely could sympathize. “One moment, he was in the blaze. Then, an explosion. And he was gone...” Hiro seemed on the verge of tears, clearly struggling to hold it together.

 

  
Putting her hand on the top of his head, GoGo gave Hiro a look, silently telling him he could take it easy. “And things kind of went from there.” The dark-haired girl explained. “Hiro found out about the guy who started the fire, and, after it was clear he wouldn't stop, no matter what, we did what anyone would do: we all slapped on some carbon fiber armour to help him. And to make sure he didn't hurt himself in the process.”

 

 

“And thus, the origin story of Big Hero 6 is complete!” Fred broke in, speaking in melodramatic tones. “Heroes destined to protect the city of San Fransokyo from the coming darkness.”

 

 

“Nope.” Said GoGo in a flat voice. “Nope. And nope. We're only do this to make sure Hiro doesn't do anything stupid, and to get to the bottom of Tadashi's death. Once that's over, we're over.”

 

 

“Whoa, hold up, back up.” Kairi said. “You guys know who killed Tadashi?”

 

 

Hiro nodded grimly “Yeah. I saw him. After the explosion. Standing in a blaze that no human could. The man in the black cloak.”

 

 

Now that sent alarm bells ringing in Kairi's head. Immediately, the redheaded Key Bearer shared a silent look with her allies, all of them wearing the same face she was. Clearly, the Organization had been to this world, and they had done more than just plant the Blackheart Stone.

 

 

“But, that was two months ago.” Wasabi spoke. “The trail's gone cold since then. Not to mention, we've had to deal with all those... things, swarming all over town.”

 

 

“The Darklings!” Came Fred, in a put-upon “spooky” tone.

 

  
“'Heartless'.” Paine corrected, also in a flat tone. “They're called 'Heartless'.”

 

 

“Ooh, that's really good!”

 

 

“That's actually something I'd like to know.” Yuna said, addressing the natives of San Fransokyo. “When exactly did the Heartless show up?”

 

 

Everyone chewed on the question for a moment, trying to recall the necessary information, but Honey was the first to speak up. “Now that you mention it, it was only a week – maybe a few days – after the fire at SFIT. At first, they weren't that much of a issue, more of a curiosity. We actually tried catching one for research, thinking it was just some new kind of lifeform. Then, they started multiplying in numbers, and appearing everywhere. And then, the rash of disappearances...”

 

 

“It's been bad out there.” GoGo added, eyes narrowed and brows furrowed. “Basically, nothing anyone does has kept those things at bay, and everyone has been shut in their homes for a while now.” A low growl escaped the short woman's lips. “Even with our tech, we can't seem to do much to stop them.”

 

 

“It's just like back on Twilight Town,” Paine stated, before adding for clarification. “Another world we visited. The Blackheart Stone created a flood of Heartless that overran the town, or at least portions of it.” Kairi remembered the stories Hayner, Pence, and Olette had told them, about how whole portions of the idyllic cityscape were basically abandoned. The Stone also hadn't been active for that long in Twilight Town either, so of course things in San Fransokyo had now progressed to an even more dire point.

 

 

Holding out a finger, in order to maintain the floor, as it were, Paine continued. “That brings me to a question, though.” She looked the six superheroes in the eyes and stated, flatly and too casually, as if it were an everyday phrase, “Do you know of a structure three-hundred and thirty-three meters tall?”

 

 

Once more, the six put on their thinking caps, but, to everyone's surprise, Fred was the first to offer an answer.

 

 

“Well, duh! That's San Fransokyo Radio Tower!”

 

 

GoGo blinked, eyes wide-open in shock. “Wow, Fred, I can't believe you know something that's A: useful and B: doesn't involve comic books.” GoGo tone was sincerely genuine, or about as genuine and sincere the sardonic woman could manage.

 

 

Fred's response was to twiddle with the long nails of his suit's hands. “Well, actually, I only know that because I watched _Gigaman vs Gozelmera: Protect The Tower of Peace_ fourteen time.” Gogo sighed heavily and held her hands up, as if to say “And there it is”. “But that's a movie, not a comic, so totally different thing!”

 

 

Kairi walked forward, her mind now wholly made up with this new information, directly addressing both Hiro and Baymax. “Well, that settles it. Hiro, everyone, we're going to go back to this Tower, destroy the Stone, and get rid of the Heartless plaguing this city. And then... we'll help you in finding the person who did this. The one in the black cloak.” While Hiro seemed ecstatic at the offer of help, Paine only offered the team leader a shrewd look.

 

 

“You sure that's a good idea? All we really need to do is get rid of the Stone.”

 

 

“We can't just let the Organization go around and act with impunity, Paine!” Was Kairi's retort, spinning on her heel to address her friend. “They've caused enough issues on other worlds, and now they're actively taking lives of innocent people? No. There's no way I'll stand for that.” Even beyond Tadashi, the question was how many lives had been claimed by the Heartless ushered into this world via the Stone? All the Organization did was spread suffering and misery, and it was high time they paid for their sins.

 

 

“Passionate. Earnest. Resolute. The words of a heroine. Although... these sentiments are spoken from someone so naive as to be inconsequential.”

 

 

Heavy footfalls echoed through the empty warehouse, as no everyone's attention had shifted from the conversation at hand, to trying to find the source of the speaker. The newcomer. The intruder.

 

 

“But clearly, the Moirai has abandoned her and affiliated themselves with the true victor. Why else would all you miscreants be gathered together, in one place, so that we may have this fated encounter?”

 

 

The voice was sardonic and cultured, clearly amused with the situation. Whoever the speaker was, they were also in love with the sound of their own voice, and their choice of vocabulary. A shiver ran down Kairi's spine, as she was certain just who this intruder was.

 

 

Destiny's Embrace came to life, appearing in her grasp.

 

 

“Now, heroes of all shapes, sizes, and disposition, come together, and meet your match with the inexorable march of time. The wheel of fate is turning, and the game is afoot!”

 

 

Out from the shadows, came an Organization member, dressed in their trademark black cloak. His blonde hair was neatly shorn, accentuated by an impeccably manicured goatee. Various trinkets and rings pierced his ears. Black gloved hands fiddled and shuffled with a deck of cards.

 

 

Kairi's eyes narrowed when they fell on him, her worst fears coming to realization. This was no Silhouette, this was the real deal. A proper, fully-fledged Nobody. Anxiety and rage bubbled inside her, as Kairi growled out a single word. A single name.

 

 

“Luxord...”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who are you really, Luxord? Plays games. Likes big words. Worse time powers than Young Xehanort. Has been in three games and has done nothing of consequence. That's who Luxord is!
> 
>  
> 
> Jokes aside, this chapter was a pain to get through. Don't really know why, but yeah, I struggled at points to do this thing. But it's done, thank goodness...
> 
>  
> 
> So, four years ago, when I first wrote the outline for this story, I had included two Disney worlds that were not in Kingdom Hearts II to be a part of Kairi's adventure. And, of course, both of the worlds I selected ended up being in KH III. Welp. What's a guy to do? Press forward and stay the course. Any guesses on what are second “new” world will be?
> 
>  
> 
> But, I ended up choosing Big Hero for a couple of reasons. One very lighthearted one being Rikku freaking out and fangirling all over the tech on display, another one of those jokes I've had in my head forever and ever and only now get it out.
> 
>  
> 
> The other being Hiro's arc regarding the loss of his brother. Now the Organization have taken away loved ones from both Kairi and Hiro. And you can all probably guess how they're going to react, now face-to-face with Luxord. Things are going to get pretty intense next time around.
> 
>  
> 
> As always, everyone is welcomed to leave feedback at their leisure; seeing comments and reviews from my readers always brightens my day, so never be shy or afraid to speak your mind.
> 
>  
> 
> Until next time, let the light guide your path forward.


	14. Deadly Games

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEW! Apologies for the delays between updates, but this chapter was a beast, again. The Disney stuff just eludes me, I don't know what else to say.
> 
>  
> 
> But, before we begin the show, I do have some minor housekeeping to get to. Since I am no longer working through a backlog, as I was earlier in the year, I am trying a new system where I finish all the chapters in an arc/world before I begin uploading, in an attempt to be more consistent with my publishing dates. We'll see how this goes.

**She Will Light The Way  
Chapter Fourteen  
Deadly Games**

 

 

Kairi stood there, practically frozen. Teeth clenched together, tightly, breaths kept short and sharp. That all too familiar cocktail of dread and fury took root in her heart the moment the Nobody made his presence known. She couldn't even recall that she had consciously summoned Destiny's Embrace; the weapon springing to life, as if her heart knew the danger this scenario held.

 

 

The Gullwings all had their arms out, as well, taking up a fighting stance. Even Hiro and the others stood in a much more guarded and wary pose, able to read the room, but not aware of the depths of dire danger they were all in.

 

 

Kairi's eyes remained locked on Luxord the entire time.

 

 

“Kairi...” Paine warned, through tightly held lips. The rest of her warning was unspoken, but Kairi understood what the dark swordswoman wanted to say. Even with numbers on their side, there was no way they could take on an Organization Nobody, here and now. She was more than aware of that fact, but at the same time, she couldn't just stand by and flee again, could she? The Organization were the enemy. They had inflicted so much chaos and harm on the innocents of the Realm, she had a duty to stop them, didn't she?

 

 

Not to mention, that an Organization member had been to this world. Planted the Blackheart Stone. Started the fire at SFIT. Took the life of Tadashi Hamada.

 

 

_Was it Luxord? Did Luxord kill Hiro's brother?_ Kairi's eyes drifted over to the scrawny youth, who was baring his teeth in an anxious grimace. Yeah, he most likely had realized that, too. He most likely had a similar thought.

 

 

The stalemate between the Nobody and the various heroes continued for long while, before Luxord himself broke the detente, shaking his head and clicking his tongue in dismay.

 

 

“What a poor showing. How uncouth!” The Nobody cried, as he paced across the dusty floor of the warehouse. “To meet my foe – a Princess and Key Bearer, no less – on even footing and to be shown such a rude display, it's simply unbecoming of a young lady, such as yourself.” Kairi couldn't help herself from rolling her eyes. Luxord's flowery language and false displays of emotion and propriety were still as annoying as ever.

 

 

Optics trained on Luxord, Baymax blinked, making a small, shuttering sound with each motion. “ _I do not detect a. Heartbeat. Or anything other life signs. From this. Individual._ ”

 

 

“A keen observation, my cybernetic cohort.” Turning on his heel, Luxord faced the group and offered a wide, sweeping bow. More mocking than anything else. “Allow me to extend a hand and make a formal introduction of myself. I am Luxord, Number X of Organization XIII. A pleasure to meet all of you, Kairi Ralleone, Hiro Hamada, and associates.”

 

 

“'Associates'?” Rikku repeated, taken aback, and sounding oddly offended.

 

 

“What are you even doing here, Luxord?” Kairi finally found it within her to speak, though her body was still tightly wound up and stiff. “I figured all you cowards would stay on the sidelines and send your Silhouettes to deal with me.” That was the impression she had gotten from Saix' little explanation, anyways.

 

 

As if he could read her mind, Luxord chuckled at his adversary. “Well, our dear Luna Diviner can say whatever he so desires, but that doesn't make it necessarily true, now does it?” The blond Nobody went back to fiddling with his deck of cards, splitting them into two even piles and fanning them out. “In truth,I have been waiting quite some time to match my mettle against a Key Bearer. Simply salivating at the prospect of crossing blades with Sora or Roxas.” In any other situation, that last comment would have hit Kairi like a tonne of bricks. Roxas? A Key Bearer? But, in the moment, there was far too much going on for her to react or respond or register that fact. “Alas, while patience can be a virtue, it can be a hindrance at other times. I desired nothing more than to face the wielder of the Keyblade in mortal combat. But, now,” Taking the pile in his left, Luxord quickly flipped the cards so that they were face down. All except one. “All I am left with is the low card in the deck.”

 

 

The one remaining face-up card being the two of clubs.

 

 

It was such a basic and obvious insult, and yet, Kairi still felt the heat rise within her in response. “You really think that?” She hissed out. “Because you guys are down one member and four Stones thanks to me. Maybe you should reconsider your stupid little metaphor.” The bravado was a false face, but Kairi knew she couldn't let her fear get the better of her, no matter how daunting a task fighting a true Nobody was

 

 

“Anyone else feel like they're out of the loop?” GoGo muttered from near the back of the group.

 

 

Fred nodded, frantically. “It's like coming into an anime halfway through the season. And it's a lore-dump episode!”

 

 

In addition to her speech, Kairi took a step forward, challenging her opponent. Confronting that fear within her. Trying to make herself seem bigger than she was, and hopefully make Luxord think twice about getting into a fight with her.

 

 

The moment she stepped forward however, Paine cleared her throat and grunted, disapproving of the redhead's bluster.

 

 

“Not now, Kairi...” Paine reiterated, taking a few steps backwards. Slowly and cautiously. “We can't beat him. You know that.” She then turned to the members of Big Hero 6 around her. “Hey. You guys have a safe house or a place somewhere we can lay low for a while?” Both Honey Lemon and GoGo nodded, the answer Paine was looking for. “Then we need to distract him and pin him down and make a break for it. We need -”

 

 

“Leaving so soon? How gauche and brash. We've hardly even had time to exchange pleasantries.”

 

 

Luxord's voice came from behind Paine, causing the woman's eyes to widen in shock. She looked back to where the Nobody was standing, and he was gone! She had taken her eyes off him for a second! Quickly, Paine wheeled around, slashing her sword at the source of the voice. For a moment, she caught sight of the goateed man in the black cloak, but only a for a moment. Before her sword could slash through Luxord, the Nobody blinked away and vanished yet again.

 

 

“I don't think we're getting out of this without a fight...” Yuna said, in a low voice, as Luxord reappeared atop a stack of palettes, standing to everyone's immediate left. Paine only cursed at her friend's dire observation.

 

 

“Correction. You will not find liberation from myself until we have a little bit of fun.” Luxord waved a hand in Kairi's direction. “How about it, Princess? One game for old time's sake?”

 

 

Kairi bit her lip and growled. The only thing she received even remotely approaching entertainment when she was the Organization's prisoner, was whenever Luxord and some of the Dusks and Gamblers would challenge her to some card games. Poker. Blackjack. Gin rummy. Cribbage. Kairi lost every time – got utterly smoked every time – and Luxord was far from a gracious winner.

 

 

“No deal! I have no time for any of your games!” In spite of the fiery rage building within her, Kairi knew Paine was right. Righteous wrath or no, she was no match for a fully-fledged Nobody. They needed to retreat.

 

 

“Rejecting me out of hand? Why, I haven't even explained the rules or the wagers.” Luxord smirked, slimy and gross. Kairi's rage only built at the sight of that expression. “It seems the intervening months and the rigours of combat have done nothing to improve your temperament. It's quite simple, really.” Ignoring the protestation of the Key Bearer and her friends, Luxord performed a bridge shuffle, merging the two piles of cards back into a single deck. “It will be a variant on a classic, Fifty-Two Pick-Up! I'll scatter the cards about this building and your objective is to find one specific card – the King of Hearts!” As he declared the goal of the game, Luxord quickly pulled said King from the deck, holding it out for all to see. “Find the King of Hearts and then I'll free the king of your heart.”

 

 

Now, Kairi blushed furiously, as she grew even more annoyed. Even the bad guys knew about her and Sora? A chill ran down her spine, as she found that fact incredibly gross and intrusive. _Sora... just what have you been doing and saying since you left the Islands?_ When they finally did reunite, she was certain they would have a long talk about all of this...

 

 

Snapping back to the more pertinent manner, Kairi glared at the Nobody. “Yeah right! You must think I'm really stupid, don't you? There's now way I'm falling for that trick, too. You say that, but you'll probably dump him in the middle of space or something ludicrous like that.” Much as Kairi would want to believe she could have Sora back by playing a simple card game, there was no way it would be as simple as that.

 

 

Luxord placed a hand over where his heart would be, looking quite wounded by the Key Bearer's words. “I am offended, dear Princess!” He feigned outrage. Kairi rolled her eyes again, this act was getting old, fast. “That you would think so little of me. That you would impugn my honour and treat my words as hollow nothings. Unlike some of the rapscallions that I work with, I am nothing if not a Nobody of my words, and someone who always pay my debts.” Luxord waved the King of Hearts card about, taunting Kairi with his offer. “I do solemnly swear that, if you win, I will travel to our stronghold and bring Sora to you instantly. Perfectly safe. Not a single spike out of place.

 

 

“You have my word.”

 

 

A combination of desperation and Luxord's act of earnestness caused Kairi to freeze. Could she really pass this opportunity up? A quick and easy way to free Sora. That's the entire reason she was here, after all, to bring him back. And, to have him, right now, alongside her in the middle of her quest? He could take away the burden and anxiety resting upon her shoulders, support her, heal her, fight alongside her. She could hug him and thank him and apologize and beg for forgiveness and ask him a million questions. They could fight together, adventure together, go out in search of Riku and bring him home, too. It was everything she ever wanted and more...

 

 

Not to mention, the nature of the game seemed simple. Sure, the warehouse was fairly large with plenty of places a playing card could hide away in, but it was Fifty-Two Pick-Up. At most, it would take her maybe an hour to complete this quest. Again, if she were in a better state of mind, maybe Kairi would have realized how deceptively simple this all way, but Luxord had waved the perfect carrot in front of her, causing her to slowly cast off all caution and rationality.

 

 

But, a tiny amount of apprehensiveness remained in the girl, as she looked up to Luxord, battle stance dropping, and asked in a shaking voice, “...And what happens if I lose?”

 

 

Instantly, Luxord's veneer fell away. All the flair, the pomp, the circumstance. It all disappeared, as his visage darkened considerably. The ugly true face of the Nobody emerged.

 

 

“Then I'll kill each and every last one of you.”

 

 

A hard lump formed in Kairi's throat, the girl doing her best to swallow it.

 

 

“Hey! Hey, you!” Hiro called up to the Nobody, as Kairi fell silent, paralyzed with the decision place on her. There was feverish look in his eyes. “You knew my name. How? How do you know me?”

 

 

Just as quickly as it fell, Luxord's put-upon emotions returned to him. “Have you forgotten so soon?” The Nobody said, quirking an eyebrow. “Here I thought that night at the showcase had left an indelible scar upon your heart.” The face of the young boy grew increasingly pale.

 

 

Most likely, when Luxord appeared, everyone could do the math. Put two and two together. But having it confirmed was an entirely different animal to deal with.

 

 

“That was you! At the showcase, the fire! That night...” Hiro fell to his knees, letting out a howl of anguish as tears began to well in his eyes. Honey Lemon scooted over to the boy, putting a hand on his back, as Baymax waddled over, as well. “Tadashi... you killed Tadashi, didn't you!?”

 

 

That smirk returned again, as Hiro howled in anger. Kairi felt hatred bubble inside of her. To hell with the game! Luxord had to pay for this...

 

 

“The Organization is always seeking for new and dramatic advancements in the scientific fields. I figured your little university would be a treasure trove of technological trinkets to help move our vaunted agenda forward.” Luxord explained, in a flat tone. His words were as flowery as ever, but it seemed explaining his actions was more an inconvenience to him than anything else. “After I set up the Blackheart Stone, I paid a little visit, started the fire, and began to freely pilfer whatever I desired. Then, you brother made his presence known. Looking for stranglers in need of salvation. A noble and selfless soul.” Luxord scoffed. “How pathetic.” By this point, everyone (save Baymax) were glaring at the Nobody. Nine sets of angry eyes burning a hole into his being. He paid them no mind. “He spotted me, so, I did what my mission dictates. To remain invisible and unseen.”

 

 

“Why? Why?” Hiro sobbed, flipping between sorrow and anger. “Why did you take him away from me? He was my brother... my only family...” Luxord observed the boy for a moment, an unerring, steely gaze, as if he was soaking in Hiro's despair and heartache.

 

 

“Why? Simple, dear Hiro, because I could!” Throwing up his hands in an overdramatic gesture, Luxord let loose a booming, belly laugh. But it wasn't cheerful, simply cold and mocking. A sneering act that allowed the Nobody to revel in the misery he had created. “I am a Nobody, a transcendent being! Perfect. Superior. Celestial. Empyrial. To us, humans are nothing more than tools at best, and insects at the worst. And if any little cretins were to cross a titan such as myself, I would be well within my rights to exterminate you, with prejudice!” Hiro covered his mouth, burying a sob with his hand. “And that is what happened. Your brother got in my way, stood between me and my mission. So I removed a piece from the game board.

 

 

“So I eradicated a nettlesome and utterly insignificant insect...”

 

 

“Luxord!” Kairi yelled, aiming her Keyblade at the Nobody. “If you think I'm just going to stand by and play your games after all you've done, then you have another thing coming!” Her need to free Sora, to see him again, to hold him in her arms... it was great. The greatest want she could possibly have. But she was blinded by her anger. Her desire for Sora and desire to get revenge for Hiro and Tadashi were in conflict within her, and even though fighting for her new friend felt right... giving up on her best friend felt wrong, too.

 

 

_Focus, Kairi.... The game's probably out of reach anyways. It was probably all a big con anyways._ Over and over, she told herself these things, to try and assuage the guilt for abandoning Sora.

 

 

“Your participation is not requested nor required!” Luxord countered, fanning the deck of card out, again. “All of life is but a game, and you are either a player, or a victim.”

 

 

With a flick of his wrists, all the cards Luxord held in his hand flew out, scattering all over the building, landing on the floor or sticking into walls or objects. As the cards launched through the air, Kairi kept her eyes on them, trying to see if she could discern which was the King of Hearts – she couldn't help herself! The temptation was too great, as her desires swung back to the personal.

 

 

“... And you, you've been nothing more than a victim your entire life.” Luxord hopped down from his platform and began to strut about, addressing Kairi with a mocking tone. “But will the right impetus make you a player? Time to find out...”

 

 

“Kairi! Come on!” Paine yelled at her. The words of the white-haired woman did little to sway the Princess from her tasks. “You're not falling for this crap, are you? We need to get out of here, now!”

 

 

“Yeah, Red, Paine's right.” Rikku pleaded, as Kairi's eyes were trained on a pile of cards on the floor, fifteen feet in front of her. The girl was practically mesmerized. “I know you wanna see Sora again, I do too, but there's a better way to do this...”

 

 

All the words in the world fell on deaf ears, as Kairi stood frozen again. Honey Lemon and Wasabi and Baymax were all huddled over Hiro, trying to console the poor, heartbroken boy. The Gullwings were trying to convince her to leave well enough alone and make a retreat.

 

 

...But she couldn't do that. Kairi just couldn't. She couldn't abandon those in need. Abandon her principles. To throw away such a perfect, golden opportunity standing right before her. Deal with a Nobody and heal the pain in her and Hiro's hearts! Bring Sora back and mount a fierce offensive against the Organization!

 

 

_Sora gave up everything for me – twice! I can't I look at myself in the mirror if I don't sacrifice everything in return!_ Came one part of Kairi's mind.

 

 

_How many people have the Organization hurt? Killed? How many and for how long?_ Sounded a second part. _Well, it ends now. I don't care what I have to do... I'll burn down everything if it means I can catch them in the flames!_

 

 

“I am not a victim! Not anymore!” Kairi declared, holding Destiny's Embrace aloft, voice thick with angry emotion. “I'll beat you at your own game, Luxord, and me and Sora will dismantle the Organization, and put an end to all of this!” The Nobody's smirk only grew, in both size and sliminess, as Kairi swung the Keyblade in the direction of the pile of cards on the floor.

 

 

“Aerora!”

 

 

Conjuring a whirlwind from the arc of her swing, the tornado rolled forwards, sweeping over the cards and shooting all six of them up into the air! With magic, this game would certainly be a breeze.

 

 

All of the cards tumbled end over end, revealing themselves. Kairi wasn't surprised none of them were the King, the odds weren't in her favour, but it meant six targets off the playing field. She was already a tenth of the way there...

 

 

But, then, the airborne cards began to shine with a intense red light, as the air about them shimmered. Like the air above a flat stretch of road on a summer's day....

 

 

“What in the...”

 

 

_**BOOOOM!!!** _

 

 

A massive firebomb ripped through the warehouse, the cards detonating with a deafening roar and unleashing their massive payload of heat and concussive force in all directions. Kairi didn't have time to react, as she was swept aside by the explosion, super-heated air singing her flesh. Baymax threw his entire body overtop Hiro, shielding the boy from the blast, but the others weren't so lucky. Paine and the others were further away from the blast radius than Kairi, but still caught within and hurled backwards by the conflagration.

 

 

“My oh my...” Over the crackling of flames and the dull throbbing in her ears, Kairi could hear Luxord's slow chuckles rain down on her. “You really thought that this game would be so simple? Better play with more caution, otherwise Sora will slip even further from your grasp...”

 

 

Kairi ignored the barbs and taunts, struggling to pick herself up, trying to gather her barrings. Towering pyres were now lit over the floor of the building, obscuring her view, with various pieces of the industrial junk blasted and strewn about. But where was everyone? Her head throbbed, as Kairi tried to push through the disorientation. She was certain everyone would be okay, she just needed to keep moving forward towards her goals. That's what she had been doing this entire time. That's what everyone had taught her. Right. Right? Keep faith. Do your best. Keep moving forward.

 

 

Taking a few uneasy steps, Kairi saw another card before her, embedded into a girder. She quickly snatched it, only to be disappointed to see it was the nine of diamonds. Expecting another bomb, she threw it away and ran as far and fast as she could with her injuries and delirium.

 

 

But, instead of glowing red, the card flashed a bright blue, before vanishing. Unexpectedly, Kairi felt her entire body being tossed into the air, as a furiously forceful geyser of scalding water erupted out of the earth beneath her feet.

 

 

“This is just depressing to watch. I suppose I might be able to liven things up by entering the game...” In a flash, Luxord appeared behind Kairi while she was floating helpless in midair, carrying with him a playing card taller and wider than his body. Kairi tried to twist her body around to defend herself, but instead was swatted out of the air by the oversized card, which felt like it were made of solid steel. The object caught the girl along her forearms and elbows, stinging her and launched her back downwards, smashing into the same support beam she had plucked the card from.

 

 

Landing ribs and stomach first, Kairi felt the agony of the impact, followed by all the air being driven from her chest. The Princess writhed on the dusty floor, painfully gasping for air, as the chaos continued to play out all around her.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

“God damn it...” Paine bellowed, as she threw off piles of charred wood that had settled atop her and Rikku. This was bad. Beyond bad. Everyone was scattered about and fighting an insanely powerful foe, in an arena that benefited him.

 

 

Worse, Kairi's obsessions seem to have driven her over the edge.

 

 

“Rikku, get everyone together, and then ready some smoke bombs. Flash bangs. Anything that will cover our escape.” Paine relayed her plan, as she helped the blonde to her feet. “This is... this is going to be rough, but we're out of options and time.”

 

 

“And what about Red?” Rikku pointed out, catching said Key Bearer just as she was thrown into the girder. Kairi and the two Gullwings were located on far opposite sides of the warehouse, with a hellish warzone in between. Paine grunted in disgust, but shook her head.

 

 

“Just get Yuna and the kids and the robot.” Dealing with Kairi would come later.

 

 

Unfortunately, as the two adventurers spread apart to recover their party, they saw the chain reaction those explosions had caused. The force of the blast had caused more of the cards to flip over, triggering their traps. More bombs. Geysers of water. Jagged stones bursting from the floor. Whirling, scything cyclones conjuring and racing about. And each trap that triggered caused more cards to turn over, perpetuating the cycle. Everywhere Paine stepped and looked was only catastrophe and calamity.

 

 

Fred and Honey Lemon were pinned down beneath several fallen girders, trapped and helpless, with Yuna trying to use her shotstaff as a lever to disbar the wreckage, but was having to survive a series of firebombs detonating in her vicinity.

 

 

“Hey... Hey! Paine, give us a hand...”

 

 

Paine whipped her head around at the sound of the faint voice, seeing that GoGo and Wasabi were also pinned down on the ground, about thirty feet from where she stood. Except, Paine squinted her eyes, peering through the orange glare of the flames, they weren't covered in debris. They were completely free and uncovered, but it looked as if they couldn't move a muscle, that just calling out to her was a great effort.

 

 

High above the two superheroes, hanging in the air like a baleful sun, was a massive black orb of dark matter, energy radiating outward from the sphere. To the eyes of a veteran like Paine, it almost looked like a Gravity spell.

 

 

The heavy, dull sound of warping steel and the sharp crackling of glass breaking told Paine that her suspicions were correct, as it looked like everything above the orb was starting to give in to the weight of the Gravity spell – more girders and glass and concrete nearing it's breaking point, about to transform into an avalanche that would bury the two!

 

 

Rushing over without a second thought, Paine entered the gravity field, immediately feeling the pressure slam into her. It took all the strength she had to fall to her knees, instead of falling flat prone, while keeping her shield arm raised. The roof gave in, debris raining down, but Paine projected the barrier of her shield, the wall of shimmering light catching everything and providing relief....

 

 

Except now Paine was stuck in the field, too, and with what felt like several hundred pounds of steel and concrete hanging above her, pushing her down, trying to squash her and the others into a pile of nondescript goo. She couldn't move. GoGo and Wasabi couldn't move. Hell, the three could barely speak or communicate, so great was the gravity in the zone.

 

 

All Paine could do was grunt and curse silently, as she watched Kairi on the other side of the warehouse make a beeline for more cards, triggering more traps, playing further into Luxord's hand.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

“ _Hiro. Are you okay?_ ”

 

 

Baymax pulled himself off of the young genius, the robotic healthcare companion having done his job. His massive, armoured frame covered Hiro from the entirety of the blast, leaving him unscathed...

 

 

Physically, at least. Hiro's mental state, on the other hand, was quite damaged. The genius inventor didn't answer Baymax' inquiry, staying motionless on the ground, huddled up in the fetal position, with a haunted and glassy look in his eyes. The only thing Hiro said was “Tadashi...”, quietly repeating the name over and over again.

 

 

“ _Scanning_.” Baymax' systems whirred to life, as he took a quick once-over of his partner and his being. “ _You do not appear to have suffered. Any. Physical injuries. However, it seems you are under a great. Deal of. Emotional. Distress._ ” Hiro didn't respond. He barely heard anything Baymax was saying. His entire world had basically been shattered. Losing his brother was hard enough, but to learn that he had been taken away for such a petty reason, in such a callous way, by this... this... this monster!

 

 

Hiro Hamada has never felt such grief in his short, fourteen years. He wanted to curl up and vanish and die.

 

 

“ _Is there anything I can do to improve your emotional well-being?_ ”

 

 

“Baymax, I-” Hiro began in a small voice. He was going to tell the bot to just leave him be. There was nothing in this world – or any other – that could alleviate the pain he felt. But then he looked up, witnessing the battle that had been unfolding while he was wallowing in despair. GoGo and Honey and Wasabi and Fred – his friends, Tadashi's friends – were all in various states of peril, while Kairi was struggling on her own. She seemed to be prioritizing going after the cards, trying to win the game, while Luxord played keep away and guarded the various cards. The Nobody was assailing the Key Bearer with more cards, battering and slashing at her, with Kairi taking more and more injuries with each attack. Every so often, though, she would manage to take hold of a card, only for it to be the wrong one, triggering another trap that would blast her away, the redhead screaming in pain and frustration.

 

 

But, no matter how many times Luxord took her down, no matter how many times she fell into a trap and was blown away, Kairi got back up. She growled and snarled, facing screwing up in furious determination, gritting her teeth, before going right back to work.

 

 

Kairi. The girl that had shown up out of the blue to help them in a pinch, extend a hand of friendship, and then vow to help him find his brother's killer. To help him, even when she had her own problems to deal with.

 

 

_That's right... these Organization guys took someone away from her, too..._ Hiro thought, glumly, as he continued to watch Kairi struggle. The Key Bearer lunged for another pile of cards, only to be intercepted by Luxord, the Nobody now wielding a series of cards stacked together like a sword blade without a hilt. One wide arc of a swipe and Kairi was sent flying. _But she hasn't given up. She's not lying on the floor, having a pity party for herself. Kairi's hurting the same way as me, but she's still fighting..._

 

 

“You know what, Baymax? There is something you can do to help me...” Hiro slowly stood up, his legs stiff and leaden, his body trembling from the adrenaline surge. He pointed at the preening and egotistical Luxord. “That guy? The one in the cloak. He's the source of my distress. I need you to take him out. Get rid of him. Destroy him!”

 

 

Hiro's orders hung in the air for a second, almost drowned out by the cacophony of battle, as Baymax blinked and processed the task. “ _I'm afraid that. 'Destruction'. Is not a part of my care-giving protocol._ ” The robot finally answered, an answer Hiro had expected. “ _Might I suggest a. Joint therapy session. So that you and the man in the cloak can achieve closure on your feelings?_ ”

 

 

“No, no... I have something for that, though...” Hiro reached into one of the compartments built into his armour, fishing out a memory card. Back when this started, when he first came up with this hair-brained scheme, Hiro knew that Baymax as is wasn't going to cut it. Even with the carbon fibre armour and rocket fists and booster jets, Baymax was not designed for superheroics. For fighting. So, in the grips of a feverish thought, the young genius had downloaded every last scrap of data on combat he could, creating a protocol that would turn the nurturing and supportive bot into a unstoppable, unfeeling engine of destruction.

 

 

Hiro's eyes flitted from the card to a small circular port on Baymax' chest, located where the heart would be on a human. As much as he wanted vengeance and closure and to put Tadashi's spirit to rest, this was a big leap to take. His brother had made Baymax to help people, not hurt them, even if this was incredibly justified in Hiro's mind...

 

 

What would Tadashi think of him, if he could see him, here and now?

 

 

“Tadashi isn't here... Tadashi isn't here...” He muttered to himself, chanting the chant to banish those thoughts from his psyche. “Tadashi is gone...”

 

 

Pressing a hand over the access port, Baymax' chestplate opened up, revealing the multiple slots, including the green card his brother had previously installed, “Tadashi Hamada” inscribed on it over a piece of masking tape. Swallowing the guilt and sadness, Hiro removed the green card before slamming his own red memory card into the slot, shutting the port back up.

 

 

“Baymax... end him!”

 

 

In response, Baymax' eyes shuttered close again, holding for a bit longer than what was considered a blink for the robot. When they opened back up, the neutral and soft blackness of the eyes were replaced with a harsh, angry red light.

 

 

Luxord was humming to himself, as if composing the chaos that had ensued around him, as Baymax lumbered towards him. The Nobody gamer was far too engrossed in toying with his prey to notice the robotic march of the now reprogrammed Baymax, chuckling to himself as a whirlwind produced by one of his cards threw her into the air once again, almost throwing her high enough to slam into the roof. Her friends were all in dire need of assistance, calling out to her, but she was far too consumed by her want, her tunnel vision too deep and dark for her to pay any attention to them and their plights.

 

 

“All these Somebodies are such simple creatures; truly pathetic. And to think, I was once counted among their num – GRAAAH!!!”

 

 

With a might, hammering blow, Baymax delivered a vicious right hook to the proselytizing Nobody, catching him completely unaware and sending him flying. Luxord sailed through the air, clear across to the other side of the warehouse, crashing into one of the walls and landing in a pile of industrial junk. For a brief, shining moment, it looked like the one punch had done it, man; that Luxord was out of commission – temporarily, if not permanently – and everyone would survive by the skin of their teeth.

 

 

That hope was dashed when Luxord crawled out from underneath a wrecked palette. No injuries were apparent on his body; the only difference in appearance was his cloak was slightly scuffed up.

 

 

Baymax mindlessly charged again.

 

 

“I will applaud your efforts, for scoring even a singular hit on my person.” Luxord chatted, a tiny bit of a growl to his voice. Baymax was now in range, winding up for another attack. “But one blow will be as far as you go.” This time, Luxord easily caught the punch with just his hands. Even with the inhuman strength and technique granted to the rampaging robot, Luxord didn't budge so much as an inch, Baymax struggling to retract his hand from the iron grip of the Nobody.

 

 

Returning the favour, Luxord booted Baymax in the gut, sending the bot flying in the opposite direction, with even greater force and intensity of the blow that launched Luxord.

 

 

“Want me to take away something else close to you, Mr. Hamada?” Luxord casually discarded two chunks of red polymer left over in his hands. Between the strength of his grip and blow, he had ripped off some of the fingers on Baymax's gauntlet. “I suppose that makes you a glutton for punishment...”

 

 

The Nobody began to stalk towards where Baymax had landed, with Hiro only able to look on in shock, paralyzed by what had just transpired.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

“Kairi! Kairi! We need your help!”  
  


 

“C'mon, Red! Lend us a hand, here!”

 

 

Yuna and Rikku shouted at their leader, trying desperately to get her attention and assistance, while the cousins worked on trying to free Honey Lemon and Fred. Their efforts – both in trying to flag down the hyper-focused Key Bearer, and in trying to free the two trapped heroes – had been in vein up to this point. Even with the leverage provided by Yuna's staff, and both their weight and strength they could only budge the rubble that trapped the two older teens ever so slightly. Power wasn't their forte. That was Paine's department. However...

 

 

Yuna checked over her shoulder, seeing that the dark swordswoman was still trapped under the gravity field. The pile of refuse threatening to burying Paine and the others had only grown in mass. Paine's barrier was holding up, but there was so little room available beneath the shield that Paine was now forced to her knees, torso almost folded completely at the waist. The white-haired woman was sweating and huffing, her entire body trembling from the strain. Clearly, she couldn't hold out for much longer.

 

 

Craning her head the other way, Yuna saw Kairi snatch another one of the playing cards strewn about, only for razor-sharp spires of stone to emerge from the ground around her, slashing at her stocking and legs. The girl collapsed for a moment, before using a Cura spell on herself to sew up the wounds, getting back up and going after another card.

 

 

For a brief moment, Yuna caught sight of Kairi's eyes, those indigo orbs now wide, wild, and wholly deranged. Focused on what was in front of her, but to the detriment of everything else.

 

 

“Kairi...” This time, Yuna didn't yell when she uttered her friend's name, merely said it quietly to herself. She wasn't one to question her friends and their motives, but this was utter madness. They were in trouble. Beyond trouble; they were on the verge of mortal danger! Kairi herself was clearly going to either accomplish this task, or kill herself trying.

 

 

And Yuna had a sinking suspicion she knew which of the two paths was more likely...

 

 

Redoubling her efforts, Yuna slammed down on her haft, throwing caution to the wind – if it broke, it broke, getting out of here alive was more important than a weapon – and manage to shift some of the rubble about, Honey Lemon squirming beneath the stone.

 

 

“Oh! Yes!” The bright, hyperactive girl had her arms near her waist. Near her chem-purse. “Miss Yuna, keep it like that and I can reach my...” She trailed off, as Yuna and Rikku did everything in their power to provide this tiny amount of relief. Eventually, Honey must have hit the right buttons on the device, as a bouncy ball of springy, elastic gel – coloured bright pink – suddenly appeared in the space between the girl and Fred, the force of it's emergence scattering most of the rubble from the two.

 

 

“Rikku, stay with these two, help them out, and see if you can get Paine out of that bind.” Yuna told her cousin, as they pulled the young heroes out from the debris, doing a once over on their well being. Even if she wasn't a healthcare robot powered by an extensive database, Yuna was an accomplished White Mage and healer; this wasn't her first time working triage. “I'm going to grab Kairi and Hiro and put a stop to all of this.”

 

 

Before Rikku could reply, an ear-piercing scream reverberated through the air, the four looking up to see the source of it.

 

 

Using his hiltless card sword, Luxord had skewered Kairi through the midsection, piercing through her breastplate and it's enchantments. Blood gushed from the wound, as Kairi stumbled backwards, dropping her Keyblade, colour slowly being leeched from her face.

 

 

Yuna flinched at the sight and the sound.

 

 

“Just be careful, Yunie...” Came Rikku's advice. “This... I never knew Red had this side to her. This is scary.”

 

 

Rumbling from out of nowhere, Baymax made another move at Luxord, but was effortless parried again. This time, Luxord shielded his back with one of his giant cards, before using it as a paddle to smash into the red robot. Chips of armour flew away, as Baymax collapsed with a cloud of sparks. That last one might have damaged some of his circuitry...

 

 

“You go help GoGo and the others.” Said Honey Lemon, putting a reassuring hand on Rikku's shoulders. Even if she had just met these strange girls, she could tell they were in need of a helping hand, and helping hand was what the perky scientist did best. “Freddie and I will get Hiro and try and stop Baymax.”

 

 

“You guys sure?”

 

 

“Of course!” Was Fred's bold declaration, as he animatedly hopped back to his feet. “After all, can't let you guys do all the work – a key element to any good superhero crossover is that all sides contribute equally! So leave it to Fredzilla and... uh... Tall Girl!”  
  


 

Honey Lemon blanched. “That's not my name...” She said in a sotto voice.

 

 

Suppressing a smile that was out of place in this moment, Yuna thought back to words Maleficent once shared with her, how Key Bearers had the innate ability to gather others to their cause. Of course, the dark faerie had meant that fact in a negative light back then, but it seemed that even on a day like this, Kairi was attracting good people to her. Finding friends.

 

 

“Okay. Let's get to work then!”

 

 

The four broke off into three directions, Yuna quickly firing one of her Haste bullets at herself. She would need every advantage she could muster if she was going to come out of this fight ahead.

 

 

Kairi had fallen to the ground, feebly trying to staunch her bleeding wound, as Luxord circled her like a shark, hurling down insults and taunts. He had been chattering incessantly since he first arrived, but Yuna could use that to her benefit, too. Running and gunning, her opponent with his back to her, unaware of what was coming, Yuna fired a sphere of blue energy that quickly formed into a jagged junk of crystalline ice, bigger than Luxord's chest! The icy chunk – a mixture of Blizzard and Slow magic – lobbed through the air, before scoring a direct hit on the Nobody. Frigid spears sunk into his cloak and flesh, as the baleful enchantments spread in the form of a freezing mist. Luxord grunted, slow to turn to face his assailant, his movements just slightly more languid and sluggish.

 

 

Yuna, though, had the opposite effect on her, allowing the gunslinger to move at high-speeds, zooming around Luxord and Kairi in a wide circle, only perceptible as a white and blue and golden blur. Even if he was running at normal speed, Luxord would have a hard time keeping up with her, as Yuna unleashed a flurry of magical pellets, firing off clouds of bullets from all sides that began to enclose upon their target. A storm had Luxord cut off from all around him, Yuna was confident she had done enough to distract the gamer.

 

 

Still slowed down by Yuna's magic, Luxord manage to raise his arms up as the bullets veered towards him. Then, suddenly, with a simple flex of his fingers, every single shot Yuna had put up froze in mid-air. Paused, as if someone had hit the remote. Luxord followed that move up with a sharp snap of his fingers, the golden light fading from Yuna. Both Luxord's and Yuna's movements returned to normal in an instant, Yuna stumbling from her rapid deceleration.

 

 

“Time magic? How quaint.” Yuna had almost completely lost her balance when Luxord charged, swinging his card-sword. The first blow caught her in the shoulder, but she was able to block the others. Barely. Even if he didn't possess the overwhelming power and might of Xaldin or Lexaeus, Luxord was still a Nobody, which meant his physical capabilities were far beyond that of any human.

 

 

“I applaud your gallantry and ingenuity, but I'm afraid you're simply out-matched.” Luxord said, quickly kicking Yuna in the ankle, forcing the brunette to one knee. A lightning-fast slash followed, Yuna only just able to block the strike with the haft of her shotstaff, the force of the swipe pushing both weapons up against her collarbone. “Only a Key Bearer could hope to do battle against a Nobody on an even plain, and yours, in addition to being woefully inadequate in all parameters, she seems to be otherwise occupied...”

 

 

Luxord rasped out his last comment with truly derisive form, as he eyed said Key Bearer. Briefly, Yuna and Kairi made eye contact, the mage seeing the frustration and indecisiveness reflected in her friend's eyes. But instead of reaching out to her friend, the Key Bearer kept her head down and kept moving forward.

 

 

Crawling on her hands and knees, Kairi reached out for another card – muttering to herself that this was the one, this was it, this would save Sora – but was quickly discouraged when she flipped it over. Her curse was drowned out by the roar of the explosion, as she was thrown back, crashing into another support beam, and slumping against it.

 

 

The wound in her belly was still bleeding, as more of the bright red liquid poured from the corners of her mouth.

 

 

In a flash, the cards that made the sword lost their rigidity, scattering atop and around Yuna, before Luxord lifted two of his fingers upwards. The cards multiplied and swarmed, rising up around Yuna like an updraft, propelling Yuna slightly into the air, as she had nicks and cuts rained down upon her.

 

 

“Even when seeing a friend in need, she puts her own desire first. Not that I'm criticizing, just commenting, of course...” Luxord mused in an all too casual tone, as he dusted himself off. Yuna fell to the ground in a bloody heap. Kairi had not moved from her spot. “Is this really all you can muster girl? After triumphing against Xaldin and a Silhouette, I at least expected more than a paltry amount of resilience. And even after waving Sora's freedom before you, even that didn't light the proverbial fire within your weak, fragile heart. I suppose you don't care about him...”

 

 

“Shut... up...”

 

 

“Or, rather, you care about him less than he does about you.”

 

 

“Sh-shut...”

 

 

“After all he went through for you, you can't even summon the strength to win one little card game? If I had a heart, this is the part where I would laugh.” Considering that comment for a moment, a small chuckled escaped Luxord's lips. “Oh, what the hell.... _HOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!_ ”

 

 

Luxord's ghoulish cackling brought Kairi to her breaking point. Her body and heart had given out on her, she couldn't fight back, so she did the only real thing she could do at this point.

 

 

She cried. She howled. She screamed.

 

 

She screamed for her weakness and worthlessness, that after everything she had been through, she couldn't save Sora, or avenge the dead brother of an ailing boy, or make her enemies suffer. After all this time, she lacked the strength and drive.

 

 

And she screamed, because, a tiny part of her agreed with Luxord. That, maybe, Sora cared more for her than she did for him. That, when it came down to it, she couldn't give everything up for his sake. That she would always be a victim, who suffered at the cruel hands of fate, and that Sora would have to sacrifice herself for her sake.

 

 

Kairi's anguished howl only made Luxord laugh deeper and heartier.

 

 

On the other side of the room, as Kairi's cry, Yuna's collapse, and Luxord's celebration all played out, Rikku went to work to rescue Paine, GoGo, and Wasabi.

 

 

“Alright, Paine, I know when I came up with the idea for the Dispel Dial, you gave me a lot of grief.” Rikku nattered about, nervously, while fishing through her pouches for the specific device. “Y'know, 'cause Yunie knows Dispelga, and also I've never had the chance to field test it 'n all...” Said device turned out to be a silvery disk around the size of a hockey puck. Wincing, Rikku pressed a button on the Dial, causing a blue light to emanate from it. To her great surprise and relief, the light struck against the gravity orb, the black mass wavering, before poofing from existence, the gravity field going with it.

 

 

“Holy crap! It worked!” Rikku cheered. “Well, Paine, shows you what you know. I made a portable magic diffusion device _and_ saved your bacon. So, in return, you can -” Rikku's gloating came to a skidding halt when Paine rose up to full height, glowering down at the Al-Bhed tinkerer. Paine normally wasn't in the mood for Rikku's antics, but this was a whole new level of “no”. “Uh... you can thank me whenever you want. Whenever you got the time. It's fine. Inappropriate...”

 

 

Despite the injuries suffered from the gravity well, Paine quickly went back to work, surveying the battlefield. Honey Lemon had managed to grab a catatonic Hiro and was escorting him to (relative) safety, while Fred was doing his best to wrangle Baymax. But, even with the damage he had already sustained, the berserking healthcare robot was able to ward off the monster-suit wearing teen at every turn, even if he could barely walk. Meanwhile, off to the far end, Luxord loomed threateningly over a downed Yuna and Kairi; the Key Bearer remained unmoving, distraught and melting down, while Yuna feebly crawled towards the redhead.

 

 

“Okay, time to end this nonsense...” Paine huffed, laboriously, before bringing her weapons up to bear again. “You guys grab the big guy.” She told GoGo and Wasabi, before motioning to her shorter, blonde companion. “We'll grab Kairi and Yuna and then lay down a smokescreen. Wherever your safe house is, we're making a beeline straight to it...”

 

 

Rikku pulled out a tubular bomb from one of her pouches, gathering what Paine's approach was. “Make sure all your visors are down, kids. In a few minutes, there's gonna be a one helluva light show!” The blonde then pulled her goggles down over her eyes.

 

 

Before any questions could be asked, Paine dashed forward, charging at the Nobody, with Rikku hot on her tail. In quick succession, GoGo and Wasabi launched into action as well, informing their teammates of the plan, before all dog-piling on Baymax. With the damage sustained to the circuitry and servos of the armour, there was no real hope the red robot could hold off all three of GoGo, Wasabi, and Fred; the two boys leaping atop Baymax, while GoGo skated low and from behind, taking out the legs of the robot with a high-speed tackle. Prone and with two humans flattening him from the top, Baymax was all but helpless, allowing Honey Lemon to quickly scramble and get her hands on his access port, removing the memory card that drove him wild in the first place.

 

 

The harsh red light in his eyes dying out, Baymax came to a sudden stop, his systems shutting down and his rampage coming to an end.

 

 

One problem solved, one more to go...

 

 

Luxord turned to face the remaining two Gullwings darting towards him, cards at the ready, before Paine and Rikku suddenly veered sharply to either side, Paine going left and Rikku going right. Paine pulled forward even more, taking deep and powerful strides on her long legs, as Luxord readjusted his position, certain that the two were going in to save their companions. A handful of razor-sharp cards were thrown in the path of either Gullwing.

 

 

However, much to the Nobody's surprise, Paine followed up one of her strides with a dramatic leap, rising high into the air while spinning about as to face him... and Rikku. The swarm of cards sailed underneath her, as Paine's shield projected it's shimmering barrier.

 

 

Paine shut her eyes, clenching them together as tightly as possible.

 

 

“Rikku! Do it!”

 

 

Tugging at either end of her canister while sliding under the cards, Rikku hurled the small device – not towards Luxord – but towards Paine. The object collided with the magical field generated by the shield, not even disturbing the surface of the energy wall, but instead broke apart to unleash it's payload: an impossibly bright flash of light! Burning white light consumed everything, as the flashbang detonated, made worse by being planted against the barrier, which served as a mirror, amplifying the burst and directing it all back towards Luxord.

 

 

The Nobody brought his arms up to his eyes, seconds to late, crying out in pain, as his vision was destroyed by the blast of light. Everything in the world vanished for those brief instances, as the gaming villain lost sight of Kairi and all the rest. Lost sight of all of his prey.

 

 

With Rikku's eyes protected by her goggles, and the various visors of their helmets shielding the members of Big Hero 6, the group began their escape in earnest, acting with breathless speed. Rikku and Paine gathered up Yuna and Kairi, respectively, GoGo took responsibility of Hiro, while Fred and Wasabi took the burden of carrying the offline Baymax. As the bright wave of light subsides, Rikku threw more bombs into the arena, unleashing a thick, dark, acrid smoke, with Honey Lemon furiously smashing on her chem-purse, throwing down smokebombs of her own.

 

 

By the time the smoke cleared, and his vision returned to normal, Luxord found himself all alone in the warehouse, no heroes in sight. Just him and the chaos he had created.

 

 

With a forlorn sigh, Luxord waved his hands, causing the bedlam and mayhem his cards had summoned to cease. The fires died out, while every last card returned to his waiting hand, assembling themselves in a neat, perfectly unblemished deck.

 

 

“What a disappointing show...” Luxord muttered to himself, idly, while shuffling the fifty-one cards about. “Though, I guess that is all to be expected.” With another motion of his hand, a card shot out from the sleeve of the Nobody's cloak, sliding perfectly into the crevice of his left hand. Turning the card over, Luxord let out a bark of dark laughter.

 

 

“From a rank amateur.”

 

 

It was the King of Hearts.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

It took well past nightfall before Kairi and the others made their way to this supposed safe house.

 

 

The streets of San Fransokyo were just as fog-covered and abandoned as earlier in the day, though navigating them was made much easier by the presence of GoGo and the others.

 

  
Still, city guides or not, the group of nine humans and one robot made their way through the fog-choked city mostly in silence, with both their bodies and prides wounded from the conflict. Yuna had done her best to patch up those that needed it, but healing magic had it's limits, and it could only heal the body, not the mind or the heart.

 

 

Kairi trudged along at a sluggish, zombie-like pace, hardly making a sound while staring ahead with a haunted, spacey look. She was mentally replaying just what had happened and trying to figure out what mistakes she had made. What she could have done different. If there was more she could have done to save Sora.

 

 

_Or was Luxord right? Can I not put it all on the line when the moment requires it? Does Sora care more about me than I about him? Am I really that awful of a person? Of a friend?_

 

 

While Kairi was trapped in the despairing spiral of her own inner monologue, Hiro fumed and muttered, seething angrily with every step of the way. The entire reason he did any of this was to avenger his brother's death, and he finally had the killer right in his sights. And what did he do? He couldn't get the job done! All the work he put into this was for nothing. Hiro made a silent vow to himself that the next time he and Luxord crossed paths, things would turn out differently.

 

 

Eventually, the moody group of teens and young adults found themselves in a upscale, glitzy residential area, before arriving at a palatial estate of a mansion. Easily the biggest and most expensive-looking domicile any of them had laid their eyes on.

 

 

As it turned out, Fred's family was _obscenely_ wealthy. This came as a surprise even to his friends.

 

 

Still, unexpected wealth or not, everyone was just finally happy to be safe and warm inside. It had a been a long, trying day – the first of many, most likely – and everyone was in dire need of food, rest, and recovery.

 

 

The members of Big Hero 6 switched out from their well-worn armour into more casual attire, while also working to reboot and restore Baymax, GoGo practically forcing Hiro to cough up his original memory card. With all of his armour stripped away, Baymax' tubby, plushy, white vinyl exterior was exposed to the world, the once heroic-looking bot now resembling a cross between a large teddy bear and a marshmallow. And, thankfully, his personality seemed to have settled back to it's original setting, no damage done there.

 

 

“ _My healthcare protocol has been violated._ ” Baymax voiced soon after coming back online. The robot observed the room, with a few members of Big Hero 6 looking up at him in a more fearful manner. Seeing the normally gentle and helpful machine go off on a rampage like that had clearly left them shook. “ _I apologize for any distress I may have caused._ ”

 

 

“It's fine, Baymax...” Hiro grunted, pushing past the others who had gathered about the robot, before taking a hold of one of his soft vinyl hands. “Come on, we have work to do.” Hiro began to lead Baymax away, once more shoving past his friends. “We need to supe up your armour. And I need more combat data if we're going to take care of that creep...”

 

 

Not to be so easily cast aside, GoGo, Fred, Wasabi, and Honey Lemon all imposed themselves between Hiro and the exit he was charging for.

 

 

“You're not going anywhere, Hiro.” Wasabi said, surprisingly sternly, too. “What you did back there was completely out of line!” Hiro shook his head, not believing what he was hearing.

 

 

“What? What are you guys talking about?” He shot back, angrily. His rage had been building since they left the warehouse, and it had just about reached critical mass. “We agreed to team up and take this guy -”

 

 

“We agreed to _catch_ the guy. That's it!” GoGo retorted, putting a forceful hand on the younger boy's shoulders. “Not 'take out'. Or 'destroy'. Or 'kill'. And certainly not turn Baymax into a war machine and nearly get all of us killed!” Hiro just looked increasingly incredulous.

 

 

“We're suppose to be superheroes, man.” Fred said next, trying a softer approach, but looking quite sullen and down. A stark contrast to his normally peppy attitude. “We're suppose to save people, not get revenge for ourselves. It isn't right...”

 

 

Anger flared in Hiro's face once more, the youthful genius spitting out, “I don't want to be a hero. I never wanted to be one. I just want my brother back!”

 

 

The Gullwings watched on mutely, as the scene unfolded itself, GoGo and the others trying to make Hiro see the errors of his ways. Trying to make him realize what was happening to him. Yuna, sweet and loving person that she was, hated to see friends fight, hated to see hearts consumed by grief and loss. She had more than a lifetime of that back on Spira. But, right now, she was more concerned that, while Paine, Rikku, and herself were observing the argument, Kairi was off in her own little world, pacing in a corner of the room, inattentive to anything other than what was on her mind.

 

 

“Kairi?” Yuna asked, softly, as to not alert the others to her meddling. “Kairi? Aren't you going to say something?” While they had only know each other for a short while, Kairi seemed to have forged a fast friendship with Hiro, and she fully expected the redheaded Key Bearer to step in and try to mediate the brewing conflict. She had gone out of her way to help ailing hearts before, why not now?

 

 

But, no, Kairi remained otherwise occupied, the only response she gave was a rapidly mumbled. “No. Not my problem. Have something more important to deal with.”

 

 

Yuna felt her heart sink with the answer, and Paine's lips twitched in aggravation.

 

 

“Hiro, please.” Like Fred, Honey Lemons pleas were of the softer variety, trying to appeal to the better nature of the boy. “Your brother built Baymax to help people. Turning him into a mindless monster? If Tadashi was here, he -”

 

 

“No, no!” Hiro snapped, viciously shouting at Honey Lemon, causing the sweet girl to shirk in fear. “You didn't know my brother! You don't get to tell me what he would think! Tadashi is gone, and it's all that guy's fault, and to hell with all of you if -”

 

 

GoGo stepped forward and stiffly slapped Hiro across the cheek. Everyone (save Kairi) practically jumped in shock at the sudden strike. The genius ceased his raving, quavering in fear, anger, denial, and sadness, as GoGo glared back at him.

 

 

“I never should have asked for help. Come on, Baymax...”

 

 

Sparing the others one final, dark look, Hiro grabbed Baymax and stormed off.

 

 

Just as before, Kairi did not react at all to what had just occurred, too consumed with her thoughts and her guilt. She focused her mind on recalling every action she made during Luxord's game. Every mistake she made. How close she might have come in succeeding in her mission.

 

 

_How many cards did I flip over? Thirty? Forty? Something like that... I was close! Real close! If I just had a little more time, if I didn't get cut and stabbed, if Paine didn't grab me and run... Damn it all!_ She growled in frustration, furiously ruffling her hair. So close, so close, so close! And, yet, Sora slipped through her fingers all the same...

 

 

“Kairi...”

 

 

The Princess looked up, seeing Paine had walked over, looking down at her. Her red eyes were hard and unflinching, like fiery rubies.

 

 

“Paine, I didn't need your help back there.” Kairi spoke, her voice shaking, but she was fairly calm, regardless. “Next time, I need -”

 

 

Without warning, Paine slugged Kairi in the cheek, decking the girl with a brutal right hook. The blow flattened the redhead, who stared up in pain and disbelief, as Paine scowled at her. Kairi had never realized how fearsome the white-haired warrior looked when she was angry.

 

 

“Paine... what the hell...?”

 

 

“Don't you give me that crap!” Paine's voice was a low growl. All eyes in the room were now on the two young woman. “You have a lot to answer for, considering what you just pulled...”

 

 

Kairi shook her head, not understanding what was wrong. “I-I don't understand.... What's going on?” Unlike Hiro, who had replied with anger when called out, Kairi was just genuinely confused.

 

 

“Back in the warehouse, we were all in trouble... I was being crushed to death, Yuna risked her life to help you, the others were in mortal danger, and where were you? Huh? Where!?” Despite the rage coming through, Paine laboured to speak, sweating and looking flushed. The day's events had pushed her to her utter limit and it was showing. “What was the Keyblade Master doing? Playing games with that jackass! Obsessing over her boyfriend!” Kairi clambered back to her feet, feeling just the tiniest bit embarrassed Paine referred to Sora with the “b-word”. Her cheek throbbed, painfully. That was certainly going to swell up into an ugly bruise.

 

 

“Yeah, of course I was!” Kairi countered, still not understanding where Paine was coming from. “The entire reason I'm here, the entire reason I have the Keyblade, is to save Sora! What else would I be doing but trying to rescue him?” Kairi honestly believed that, thinking that such an answer would satisfy her companion.

 

 

Paine punched Kairi, again, the redhead once more collapsing in a heap.

 

 

“Paine, that's enough!” Yuna called, trying to step in, but being out-muscled by the swordswoman.

 

 

“Idiot!” Paine roared over Yuna, marching towards the down Key Bearer. “Selfish idiot!” Kairi blinked dumbly, trying to chase the stars from her vision, before feeling herself being forcibly picked up. Paine had seized her by the hair and forced her to stand. “I have been trying to get it through your thick head that your obsession and idolization of Sora is unhealthy, but nothing has worked... it seems it's time for a little tough love.”

 

 

This again. Kairi felt her anger rise up in response. She knew Paine didn't like it when Kairi compared herself to Sora, but this was getting out of hand. Sora was great. He was a hero. Of course Kairi idolized him. What was wrong with that? What was wrong with any of this?

 

 

Before Kairi could respond, Paine removed her hand from her hair, switching it to her face. Between the fingers of the strong woman, Kairi felt her cheeks get mushed together. She groaned in pain from the tender flesh being squashed, but couldn't otherwise speak.

 

 

“You have the Keyblade because of Sora? For Sora? Nothing else?” The two girls stood nose-to-nose, Paine's pupils narrow and sharp, while Kairi's eyes were wide in shock and terror. Truly, she was glad Paine was an ally not an enemy. Or, she had been an ally. Now... “Nothing else matter? Not anything else you've done or going to do? Just save Sora?”

 

 

Paine's grip slackened, allowing Kairi the opportunity to respond. “That... I didn't say that...” Was all she could get out before Paine cut her off, again.

 

 

“Let me tell you something, kid. The entire reason we're in this mess, Sora giving himself up to the Organization to save you? That was a mistake. That was wrong of him. He should have kept fighting and left you in that cell...”

 

 

“Shut up!” Kairi snapped. This was uncalled for. Throwing that into her face. Sora's sacrifice. It was pure and noble and good. It was proof of their friendship. It wasn't a mistake. It wasn't! “What Sora did was -”

 

 

“He gave up! That's what he did! Ask yourself, this: We've been struggling just to survive since we started this, would Sora have the same issues?” Kairi had to admit, Paine had a point there. Sora was skilled and strong. He wouldn't be barely beating Heartless by the skin of his teeth. Getting thrashed by Xaldin and Luxord. Hell, by this point in time, he would probably already be banging down on the front doors of the Organization's castle. Instead, though, it was the inexperienced and doubtful Kairi left to pick up the pieces.

 

 

“It doesn't matter if you're his friend or he loves your or whatever, you're one person. One person, where he's fighting for the entire universe.” Finally Paine relinquished her grasp, Kairi taking frantic steps backwards while rubbing her sore cheeks. “Between everyone and everything and you, he chose you. He chose wrong.”

 

 

Again, Kairi could feel her rage flare up inside of her. “That's not true!” She hollered, making a fist. Trembling. Friend or ally or whatever, how dare Paine throw this in her face. To make her seem like a burden and a millstone. How dare she criticize Sora, when he was only doing what anyone would in that position. “This is.. this is just how Sora is. He puts those he loves before himself, no matter what. Like... when he freed my heart on Hollow Bastion...” Saying it aloud, Kairi began to realize how feeble her arguments were. Sora dying for her sake. Sora giving himself up for her sake. What if she hadn't been able to pull his heart from the darkness and bring him back? What if she hadn't received her Keyblade and broke out of the dark realm? What kind of mess would they be in now because of Sora choosing her over everything else?

 

 

Pushing those doubts aside, Kairi tried to keep up a strong front. “Besides the point, what does any of this have to do with today? Why are you so mad at me?”

 

 

Paine's disposition shifted, her face changing from burning anger to cold disappointment. If anything, Kairi felt like this expression stung more than the other. “We were dying. And what were you doing, Kairi?”

 

 

“I was... I was... focused on the game...” She knew the others were in danger. Paine, Gogo, Wasabi, Honey, and Fred being crushed. Yuna held at Luxord's mercy. Baymax destroying himself in a blind rage. And what did she do? What did the great, heroic Key Bearer do?

 

 

_Scrambled for more cards. More and more. Cared only about Sora. About myself. About making myself feel better and absolving my guilt..._

 

 

Kairi clutched at her head, feeling the world come crumbling down. _Oh god, what have I done?_

 

 

“You were putting one person before everything else. Falling into the same cycle of selfish sacrifice that got us into this mess.” Paine surmised, taking gingerly steps forward. “So, to you, is my life worth less than Sora's? What about Yuna's? Rikku's?”

 

 

“Paine, I-”

 

 

“It's okay if we die, right? We're just a bunch of thieves, and you'd get to see you boyfriend again. All that matters, right? You're just doing this for Sora, right?” Kairi shrunk away from the tirade of the dark swordswoman, but Paine was relentless. Hands grasped onto her body, forcing Kairi to turn and face the remaining members of Big Hero 6. They looked deeply uncomfortable at what was unfolding, but Kairi could sense something in their eyes and hearts. Hatred and distrust and disgust. She had abandoned them. Left them to die. They were barely older than she was and no more skilled or hardened and she left them to die!

 

 

“Look them in the eye.” Paine barked, pushing Kairi forward. “Look them in the eye and tell them their lives are worth less than Sora's!” Kairi's lips quivered, as Paine continued to yell into her hear. “Do it! Say it! Say it!”

 

  
“Paine, that's enough!” Yuna's voice cut through the air like a knife. Paine turned to face the brunette, with Kairi wriggling her way out of her hands. “You've made your point, now stop.” Yuna gave an uncharacteristically hard look to her companion, who seethed and glowered in response, before swaying on her feet and nearly collapsing, her exhaustion finally catching up with her.

 

 

Kairi staggered backwards, face covering her hands. She was crying again, and didn't want anyone to see it. Her face was heated and flushed, the growing bruises throbbing in time with the hammering of her heart. How could she be so foolish? So stupid!? She thought she was doing the right thing, bringing back the actual hero, and that she would give anything do so. But... but...

 

 

_I don't want anyone to suffer because of my mistakes. Because of our mistakes!_ Luxord has accused her of caring for Sora less than he cared of her, but what exactly did that mean. What was Sora willing to give up in exchange for her safety? Sacrificing himself was one thing, but there was no way he would let innocents die for her sake.

 

 

Would he?

 

 

_I did. I almost did. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine have been nothing but good friends and I almost threw that all away for a faint hope. For a promise from a heartless monster like Luxord..._

 

 

_Hiro and the others are just kids caught up in something far bigger than them. People in need of help. People suffering who needed a hero. And I just callously tossed them aside for my own selfish wants!_

 

 

Even beyond her obscured vision, the world spun. Her stomach roiled in disgust. Kairi felt like she was going to faint.

 

 

“Listen, Kairi, I don't want you to think we hate you...” Came Honey Lemon's voice, though Kairi was far too disorientated to tell from where. “We don't. What you and Hiro are going through causes people to make rash decisions. So, let's all just calm down. There's been far too much fighting today...”

 

 

“She's right, Red.” Said Rikku, oddly quiet given her rambunctious nature. “Just cry your eyes out and we'll get something to eat, get some rest, and we'll start fresh in the morning. And everything will work out. It always does for your Keyblade users. Just... listen to your heart, or whatever.”

 

 

Her heart. Her heart that had led her astray and caused all this pain.

 

 

_My heart is weak and fragile and stupid. Worthless.... It's never done me any good. Even that Light... it's only caused others to try and harm me. I hate it... I hate it all, so much..._

 

 

Against her better judgment, Kairi brought her hands down, revealing a bright red face stained with tears. Both Yuna and Rikku were smiling softly, encouraging the girl to calm down and focus, to work through this torment and pain...

 

 

But, then, Kairi caught sight of Paine, slumped against a wall and looking up at her. A decidedly withering mix of frustration and disappointment alighting her eyes.

 

 

That look was all it took to set Kairi to fleeing, tears blistering down her cheeks, as she choked through sobs of deep, inconsolable shame.

 

 

“I really screwed up this time, didn't I?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was certainly a chapter, wasn't it? Not to toot my own horn, but I think that's a hell of a way to come back from a hiatus.
> 
>  
> 
> I think part of the reason why this took so long to fully form was just the sheer chaos of the action beat. It's not a straight-forward fight scene like I usually do, but just a mad melee with a lot of moving pieces. I do hope I did a good enough job, to convey that chaos but also present it as fairly clear and concise.
> 
>  
> 
> But the main bulk of the chapter, and the important milestone, is the final scene. The confrontation between Kairi and Paine. I've been trying with past chapters to communicate Kairi's anger towards the Organization and her obsession with Sora, and this is both those traits of hers hitting a boiling point. Also, it is my direct criticism of a part of the canon games, of Sora's constant sacrifices. That, despite him pulling this in the first game, and then trying in both COM and II, he has yet to grow out of this trait. The games have yet to grow out of this trope. That Sora's sacrifices are beyond risky, and while he always manages to come back whenever he succeeds or tries, if he didn't come back, things would be infinitely worse off.
> 
>  
> 
> Not to mention that Sora's sacrifices put the onus and burden on the person he cares about. On Kairi. That all Sora is doing is taking the pain he is feeling and putting it on the one person he (supposedly) cares about more than anything else. And no one ever calls him out on this! Not once! I'm not saying this makes Sora a bad guy, but the games have been beating the same dead horse since the very beginning, and his sacrifices are always presented as noble and good. But they're not. His sacrifices are well-meaning, but short-sighted, selfish, and cowardly. A sign that Sora hasn't grown as a character since the very first game.
> 
>  
> 
> Canon Sora is a good guy, but he's a bad friend. And an even worse boyfriend.
> 
>  
> 
> So, I figured, to break this cycle of sacrifice and pain, Kairi would fall into an all too similar trap as Sora, only to be shocked out of it. To be confronted with her own ugliness and shortcomings. To face her flaws and try and grow, unlike Sora (or any of the main characters, seeing as how KH characters are more static than a TV full of snow). Whether it's Sora or Kairi or whoever, singularly focusing on one person above all else is self-destructive. Kairi needs to figure out why she's out here, why she's doing this – beyond Sora – no matter how painful those questions may be.
> 
>  
> 
> But, before we get into (more) Kairi pain and angst, we're going to shift gears. Next chapter will cut away to Riku, and we'll be witnessing his pain and angst. Can't just torture one character, now can I?
> 
>  
> 
> And on one final note, I would be remised if I didn't do my public service by suggesting that no on buy the Kingdom Hearts III ReMind DLC. Clearly, Square rushed the game out with an incomplete third act and are now charging paid DLC for the proper finale, a year after launch. Regardless of your opinions on the quality of the game, that is scummy business and it should not be supported in anyway shape or form. Demand better. And, regardless of what Square does, nothing they do can fix their emotionally hollow, mean-spirited, cynical garbage heap of a game.
> 
>  
> 
> Until next time, let the light guide your path forward.


	15. The Graveyard

**She Will Light The Way  
** **Chapter 15  
** **The Graveyard**

 

 

Somewhere in the Realm of Light, lay a world long forgotten by time and the people of the Realm.

 

 

A blighted, blasted hellscape tucked away in the deepest, darkest corner of the universe, it existed on the absolute fringes of reality, to the point where one could say it didn't exist within the Light. But within the meridian that divided Light from Darkness instead

 

 

This vast and empty world, this world of death, was once sight to the greatest and most terrible war ever seen; a conflict that literally tore the fabric of existence asunder. But the din of battle and calamity were nothing more than distant echoes now. This dead world had long fallen silent, though there were still some fresh scars that had been engraved on the ground in recent times...

 

 

And a specter from the recent past still lingered on the world. Watching. Waiting.

 

 

In a burst of darkness, a tall and imposing figure clad in a hooded black cloak took his first steps onto the dead world. Riku took a moment to survey his new surroundings, as the last of his Dark Corridor withered away. Seeing it in his mind's eye – a fevered hallucination, really – was one thing, but being here to experience this wasteland in person was something entirely different. For miles and miles in all directions all he could see was the same dusty brown and rusty red soil and earth, cracked and barren and lifeless, the endless planes of earth jagged and uneven. Sharp peaks and valleys rose and fell along the horizon, with literal chunks of the world seemingly torn and ripped away by...something. Riku didn't know what this world was or what happened here, but this was beyond the simple destruction rendered by the Heartless or Nobodies or your garden variety darkness users.

 

 

Nowhere could Riku see any signs of life or habitation or civilization. Not even ruins or remnants.

 

 

This was downright apocalyptic.

 

 

In the corrupted and dying body he currently possessed, Riku began to move deeper into the world, in search of what called him here. He took caution to keep his breaths steady and measured, to avoid inhaling the dry, dusty air. Every footstep he took left heavy indentations in the crumbling ground, even as he took care to tread lightly. It seemed that the very foundation of this world was in the process of breaking down. And then there was the very atmosphere of this place; it's presence, it's aura. It was heavy and oppressive, Riku could feel it weighing him down. Death and destruction sat heavily in the air of this world, the claws of a great and twisted beast that held the dying world in it's grasp.

 

 

_Not to mention this feeling... it doesn't feel like I'm in the Realm of Light. It's almost as if I'm back in the Realm of Darkness..._

 

 

Cresting over a high ridge overlooking and expansive plateau, Riku caught sight of something else he had seen during his vision, but didn't believe what he saw was real. Until now.

 

 

Keyblades. Many of them. A field of blades stretching on as far as the eye could see. Numbering in the hundreds, possibly in the thousands. Discarded and in disrepair, they were all staked deep into the earth. Some were merely scarred and tarnished. Others had their once shining blades covered in rust and corrosion. A select few had suffered terrible damage, with broken guards and hilts, shattered blades and missing teeth. But, regardless of the state of the blade, each and everyone of them was lacking the keychain that normally dangled from the butt of the hilt.

 

 

Deep unease settled into Riku's heart, as he both took in the enormity of the sight, and at having part of his world view challenged.

 

 

_There were this many Key Bearers at one point? Literally thousands of them..._ He had always figured being crowned a Bearer was special and rare. Certainly, there were only a handful of them existing now. Sora and Mickey. Riku technically was a chosen wielder, but he had never been able to manifest his own, only steal Sora's. Kairi, too, he remembered. He often forgot his longtime friend now possessed such a weapon and was in the thick of things. _And Roxas. Don't forget Roxas just because... because I led him to a death sentence..._

 

 

Regardless, the field of broken keys caused the mind to boggle. There were once many, many people in the Realm who carried Keyblades. And it seemed they all came to this world and died. It wasn't hard to fit the pieces together from there.

 

 

_Something terrible happened on this world that left it like this. There's no way this much devastation is natural. And all those blades in the ground, they look like grave markers._ Riku knew there was traditions in some cultures for the comrades of fallen soldiers to create makeshift tombstones with the weapons of the deceased. That all matched up. _There was some kind of battle here. A war. And all these Key Bearers fought and died._

 

 

But what were they fighting against? What were they fighting for? And did they fail or succeed?

 

 

After staring at the macabre sight for far too long, Riku forced himself to move away. He had better things to do here.

 

 

In truth, while he knew what he was looking for, Riku had no idea where to look. The world was so large and everything looked the damn same, there was no way he could get a decent baring on his location. Or the location of the sentinel. A part of Riku felt like he was just wandering aimlessly, keeping an eye out for anything that stood out amongst the wasteland. After all, how hard could it possibly be to find a suit of gleaming armour standing in contrast to all this dead rock?

 

 

But, another part of Riku figured that, because it was his heart that connected him to this mysterious being, then there was only one way he would ever come across them. He would have to listen to his heart and let it guide him.

 

 

_Now I'm starting to sound like Sora..._ Riku thought, woefully. _Not to mention me following my heart's desires seems to have only ever made things worse..._ How much different would the lives of himself and his friends be if he was just a _little_ less anxious to escape his home? If he had shown more restraint and wasn't so willingly to blindly jump into the abyss? _My wants and ambitions are wrong and harmful._ He told himself, as he trudged along the wasteland. _I have to put them all aside if I want to help my friends._

 

 

Riku kept walking, only taking short breaks whenever his body was so wracked with pain he was practically paralyzed. The pain emanating from the remains of Ansem was getting worse. More frequent. At this rate, he wouldn't last much longer until he would basically become an invalid, suffering from such agony he wouldn't be able to move at all.

 

 

_All because of another one of my impulsive actions. I wanted Sora back so badly, I even believed DiZ' lies. That fusing him and Roxas would accelerate the process. But Roxas was too strong, The only way I could beat him was by tapping into the malign darkness._ Again, he couldn't help but wonder how different things would be if he had just let his pride and obsession fall by the wayside. If he had let Roxas leave the Organization and not steal him away in the dead of the night. Sora would have woken up normally. The two of them could have met. The others could have become friends. Brothers. Kairi would never have been thrown into this conflict. Namine wouldn't have to live with the guilt of being involved in Roxas' death.

 

 

“All my fault...” Riku uttered, just loud enough for his words to bounce off the winds and canyon walls. Speaking back to him. Repeating his lament. Mocking him.

 

 

He growled and pressed onward.

 

 

Riku couldn't tell how long he had been wandering this dead world. Despite the skies being relatively clear, there didn't seem to be a sun or a moon for this world. Just a blank, endless expanse of sky, empty save for some dark stormy clouds that hung out at the edge of the horizon. Was this world so dead and broken that even time had forsaken it?

 

 

But, no matter how long or short it took him to come across his goal, Riku did find it, eventually. Set atop a titanic plateau of rock jutting high above the earth, Riku could see a vaguely humanoid figure. The distance between them made it impossible to distinguish finer characteristics, but it was the only thing Riku had seen all day that wasn't a crater, a rock formation, or a dust cloud, so he was willing to take the chance and investigate further.

 

 

Scaling the jutting precipice was a more difficult task than first blush would suggest. The earth here was no less crumbling and desiccated than the rest of the world, not to mention the awkwardness of Riku's current body. Having transformed shortly after officially turning sixteen, Riku knew he had a bit more of a spurt to go before growing into his full adult height, but suddenly transitioning from a half-grown teenager to having a body with the height and weight of an adult made everything just a little more awkward than it would be.

 

 

And, considering he was assuming the form of his archenemy _and_ this body was slowly killing him, it was already plenty awkward to begin with.

 

 

Still, after much struggling, Riku finally ascended to the top of the flat bluff, seeing that his effort wasn't in vein. Kneeling before him was a suit of armour, gleaming in whatever thin light illuminated this world, unblemished and spectacular, despite the dust and winds howling around it. Bright copper and gold plate over a glossy black body suit, with an impressive and intimidating helmet crowning the suit – twin fins crested high above the apex of the helm, with an angular visor of opaque glass jutting forward – the sentinel made for a magnificent and foreboding sight.

 

 

Clutched tightly in it's grasp was a Keyblade, bigger than any Keyblade Riku had seen before, equaling in length and size to a claymore. Uneven flanges jutted from flat, wide blade, all made of a solid, earthen bronze colour, with an elaborate steely blue guard surrounding the entirety of the hilt, pommel, and chappe. Just like the discarded blades on this world, this Keyblade lacked a keychain.

 

 

Riku felt a ping of recognition when his eye fell upon that Keyblade. It seemed so familiar, but he couldn't recall specifics. In fact, there was something greater about this armour that resonated with his heart and mind. But why? Something clearly reached out and called him to this place, to meet with this thing, but he still didn't have the foggiest clue as to the who, the what, and the why. Deep soul pains began to shoot through his being, different than the crippling agony that came from Ansem's shadow. This was...

 

 

Riku caught himself staring at the armour for a full minute before realizing he couldn't sense anything coming from it. No light. No darkness. No heart. Not even the simplest signs of life like a pulse or breath. The thing remained completely still. He figured there was an off-chance this armour might be alive or possess some level of sentience, but it disappointingly seemed to just be inanimate.

 

 

“So, then, how did you manage to reach out to my heart?” Riku asked, fully expecting only silence in return. “There has to be something more here. More than what my eyes and even heart can perceive.” Riku took a step forward.

 

 

_**Xe...** _

 

 

Riku stopped.

 

 

No one spoke. Nothing had spoke. There were no sounds save the earth crunching beneath his feet and the wind whistling between crags and canyons. But he still _heard_ something. Not a word, but a single syllable. Something raspy and horrible, like the gnashing of metal, that sounded within his heart and spread through his whole being.

 

 

Cautiously, Riku watched the armour.

 

 

_**Xe...** _

 

 

Again. That same horrific sound again. Soul Eater came to Riku's hands, as he felt the air grow even thicker and more dangerous.

 

 

_**Ha...** _

 

 

Very carefully, Riku continued his approach. The wind began to pick up, carrying thick blasts of dust and detritus with it.

 

 

_**Nor...** _

 

 

“You didn't summon me all this way out here to mutter syllables to me, did you?” Riku snarked, out of frustration more than anything else.

 

 

_**Xe... Ha... Nort...** _

 

 

_**Xe...Ha...Nort...** _

 

 

The sound was rising, like the drums of war. Harsher and louder, Riku could feel it thundering in his heart. But what was once garbled and indistinct was becoming all too clear. One word. One dreadful name.

 

 

_**Xehanort...** _

 

 

Limbs and joints creaking from what must have been years of disuse, the armour came to life, moving from a kneeling position to slowly rising to full height. Towering well over six-feet, possibly six-and-a-half, and his titanic blade now looking much larger now that it had been pulled out of the ground, the armoured sentinel stood threateningly before Riku.

 

 

_**Xehanort...** _

 

 

That name again. Riku gnashed his teeth. He knew from DiZ that Xehanort was the name of the man who eventually became Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, and Xemnas, Superior of the Organization. His former apprentice and pupil who stabbed him in the back and stole everything from him. Well, that was according to DiZ, but that bastard was so delusional and obsessive Riku took each of his claims with a grain of salt.

 

 

That horrid, grinding metallic sound continued to screech in his heart.

 

 

_**You... who are you...?** _

 

 

_**Xehanort... But you're not... Different... You heart... Two hearts... Two darknesses...** _

 

 

“I'm not Xehanort!” Riku shouted over the howling winds and grinding steel. Sure, the armour was ambulatory, but he still wasn't sure what intelligence it possessed. Whether it could hear him. Whether this was what was speaking to him. “My name is Riku. You called me here and-”  
  
  


_**Riku...? No... No... Not Riku...** _

 

 

“Now you're telling me who I am?”

 

 

_**Riku... Strong will... Promised me... You're not him...** _

 

 

_I promised this...thing?_ Well this certainly lent credence to the theory that Riku had some sort of connection to this being, but the greater details still eluded him.

 

 

The armour took a lumbering step forward, holding his great Keyblade to bare. Clearly, Riku wasn't going to get out of this without a fight.

 

 

_**No... Xehanort... Can sense it... Feel it... Xehanort...** _

 

 

Riku swore that this presence grew colder and more venomous every time it uttered “Xehanort”.

 

 

_**I have been waiting... watching... knowing you would return here...** _

 

 

_**How long... How long... Irrelevant. I still remember...** _

 

 

_**My father... My sister... My brother... You took them away from me...** _

 

 

_**You stole my body... subsumed my heart... but my will lingers all the same...** _

 

 

The earth began to rumble and quake, as a deep and dark shade began to form around the armour, brilliant black and crackling crimson. Whatever his thing truly was, Riku could sense a great and terrible power dwelling within.

 

 

_No, beyond that... this is... immense!_ Riku couldn't recall being in the presence of such power before. There was nothing comparable to what he was feeling. Not Maleficent or Ansem or Roxas or an Organization Nobody. Not even when standing on the threshold of the Door to Darkness...

 

 

The power of the Lingering Will was truly monumental, beyond anything else in existence.

 

 

_**My wrath, my hatred... That is all that has kept my will going...** _

 

 

_**No matter what form you take... no matter what bodies you steal and lives you infect... I will always see through it...** _

 

 

_**XEHANORT!!!** _

 

 

Riku took a guarded stance, preparing to parry and counter as needed. He didn't come to this place looking for a fight, but if he needed to beat an answer out of the sentinel, so be it. His heart drew him to this place, and we wasn't leaving without a -

 

 

In less time than it took to blink, the Lingering Will closed the distance between itself and Riku, a cracking sonic boom following in it's wake. Even faster than it's feet was the speed of it's swing, as it delivered a hammering blow that caught Riku right in the chest. Somehow, Riku's sternum didn't cave in from the monstrous strike, and his innards didn't turn into a gelatinous ooze, but he was buffeted all the same; thrown clear off the raised plateau and into the scarred valley below. The point where his body crashed into the ground left another gaping crater in the rocky surface, before the darkness user bounced like a child's ball, skipping across more of the desolate surface.

 

 

By all rights, that one attack should have killed Riku. Hell, it would have killed anyone! That he was certain. Yet, by some miracle, he was still alive. His cloak had been torn to shreds in an instant, pain coursed through every inch of his being, and, worst of all, his hood had been knocked off, revealing his likeness to Ansem. He had done his best to keep the hood up at all times, to conceal what he truly was and -

 

 

Lingering Will appeared in the air above him, Keyblade held in both hands in a downward thrusting motion.

 

 

One half-second, there was only empty air above Riku. The next, this sentinel. The mind boggled at how fast an animated suit of armour could be...

 

 

Still, this time, Riku was able to react to the blazing speed of his opponent, if only barely. He quickly sidestepped away, as Lingering Will plunged his Keyblade into the earth, the ground exploding in a cloud of shrapnel and dust, the shockwave generated from the blow being enough to stagger Riku and force him backwards.

 

 

Relentless, the sentinel charged out of the cloud, swinging wildly at the source of it's all-consuming enmity. Riku noticed how wide and crazed the motions of it's attacks were while back-stepping away; everything was focused on offense, on annihilating what stood before it, but there was nothing held back to defend itself. The arcs of the Keyblade were wide and dramatic, but they left the armor wide open, and it blindly pressed forward. Riku could use that fact.

 

 

Weaving into an area choked with stony pillars, Riku began to slide in and out of the fray, his foe still giving chase. Attacking with such reckless abandon, Lingering Will seemed entirely unaware of the change in environment. Or it just didn't care. It's Keyblade still came in wide, cleaving blows, but now they were in an area surrounded by rocky outgrowths, pillars with which to catch his Keyblade and slow down it's onslaught. Lingering Will reared back to lash out with a vicious strike, only for the teeth of it's great Keyblade to be caught within a pillar. That momentary delay of it having to tug the weapon out of the stone gave Riku the reprieve to retreat further into maze of pillars.

 

 

Stones flew through the air, as the sentinel retrieved it's weapon and thrashed about wildly, having lost sight of it's prey, hacking more and more spires, but the ferocity and rapidity of it's blows being greatly reduced. Riku flared his own dark aura into existence, compressing it into his hand and launching out a wicked dark flame at his opponent. The Dark Firaga sailed through the air, hitting Lingering Will square in the chest... yet the purple and black fire simply washed over the armour like a gentle summer breeze. The sentinel didn't even flinch or slow down. The attack had done nothing.

 

 

Except for revealing Riku's current position to the relentless monster.

 

 

Lingering Will rushed towards him, no longer wasting his time wildly swinging about – Riku realized grimly that this thing did have a bit of intelligence to it – darting forward along the straightest path towards the darkness user. Riku stood his ground, conjuring a wall of shadow to defend himself, only for his defenses to be immediately shattered by a single blow. Lingering Will smashed through the barrier with a brutal punch, the follow-through connecting with Riku's gut, sending the teen flying into the horizon, yet again.

 

 

Instead of giving chase, though, Lingering Will remained motionless, feet firmly planted in the earth, as it lashed it's Keyblade out. The once solid, sturdy blade morphed and shifted into an impossibly long whip, the cord snaking out through the air right towards the still flying Riku. With the lash latched around his ankle, Riku went through the disorienting sensation of having his momentum halted and reversed in one, fluid motion, as the sentinel forcibly dragged him back to his prior position, utterly helpless.

 

 

Reeling in his catch, Lingering Will reared it's free arm back, waiting in anticipation for Riku to fly back towards him. The armoured fiend lunged forward when Riku finally returned to it's range, swinging an armour-plated arm and taking down Riku with a vicious lariat! The clubbing blow caught the darkness user in the stomach, the impact causing him to do several flips in the air before collapsing at Lingering Will's feet.

 

 

Pain flared through Riku's body as he tried to collect himself and stand back up. The dull, throbbing pain of combat. After weeks and weeks of the searing, electric agony caused by Ansem's darkness, it was almost a welcome reprieve. Regardless, Riku realized how much trouble he was in, as he barely managed to dodge a serious of overhead chops that severed the earth beneath him, and would have surely severed whichever body part they came into contact with. Fighting defensively wasn't going to cut it, the sentinel could just smash through it with ease. If he was going to come out on top, if he was going to survive, he would have to fight with as much fury and fire as his opponent.

 

 

Riku dodged another wild swing, before lunging forward, thrusting Soul Eater at the breastplate of the armoured sentinel. Even with all of his strength, the point of his dark sabre skidded off the surface, not even leaving a scratch. That was fine. It was an exploratory strike anyways. Just a test to figure out how durable this thing was.

 

 

Participating in more deadly dodging, Riku unleashed a flurry of rapid attack, strong and precise slashes aiming at the joints of the armour. Elbows, shoulders, knees, and neck. Logically, those should be the weakest points of the armour, the easiest places to pierce. In reality, though, Soul Eater continued to feebly bounce off the metallic plate, leaving nothing for it's efforts.

 

 

_Physical strength isn't going to be enough._ Riku jumped backwards to avoid a twisting, spinning slash that whipped up a funnel cloud of soil and stone. _Just like with Roxas, I'm going to have to push myself if I want to win..._

 

 

Another shade formed around Riku's body, the dark energies drawing in the waning light of the world, as Riku waited for his moment to strike. The momentum of the spinning strike stopped, the armour coming to a halt, a brief window between the end of this attack and whatever it's next, inevitable assault would be. Like a viper lunging at it's prey, Riku darted forward, transferring all the shadowy energy of his aura to his left arm, before delivering his own vicious punch to his enemy – a brutal left jab directly to the head. This was the kind of attack that could shatter stone, annihilate Heartless, and injure even the heartiest of opponents.

 

 

Lingering Will barely budged as Riku's fist and the megaton of darkness energy smashed into it's helmet.

 

 

The gauntleted left hand of the fiend shot out, snatching Riku by the wrist, before counterattacking. Metal and glass met flesh and bone, as the sentinel headbutted his opponent, repeatedly. The first blow dazed Riku, while the second bruised and split the flesh, fell black blood rupturing from the wound. For a second, Riku completely forgot who he was and why he was here, his entire world simply being the chocobos circling around his head.

 

 

Lingering Will helpfully chased those birds away by spiking Riku into the ground, with enough force that his body skipped and skidded across the dusty land.

 

 

_**The years have made you weak, Xehanort... My rage has kept me strong... Waiting for this moment...** _

 

 

The sentinel plunged it's Keyblade into the earth, ripping through the ground as it swung the blade in an upward arc, unleashing a jagged fissure which raced towards Riku.

 

 

“I told you, I'm not Xehanort!” Riku hoarsely replied. The darkness user jumped back to his feet and dove to the side, avoiding the growing chasm and the edgy stones erupting in it's wake. “Why are you attacking me? You summoned me here, didn't you? Why? Why!?”

 

 

The knight did not respond, seemingly uninterested in solving the queries of it's mortal enemy. Once more, it's Keyblade spontaneously turned into a whip, the length darting outwards to snag at it's foe. Riku could not avoid the lash, but he wasn't wholly helpless this time, either. As Lingering Will pulled him back in, he forced his own body low to the ground, managing to duck under a second lariat and baseball sliding in between the gap between the sentinel's legs.

 

 

Bellowing a deep and weary battle cry, Riku unleashed more and more of the shadowy flames, the flurry of Dark Firagas raining down on Lingering Will, but having the same effect as before. The hellish inferno impacted with the armour and then snuffed out, Riku desperately backing away, while the armoured fiend marched in determined fashion towards him, unerring and unstoppable.

 

 

“What is the answer here!? What do you want from me!?” Riku had reached his breaking point and was beginning to panic. Had this all been a mistake? Was Namine right in that coming here was nothing more than a death sentence?

 

 

_I... I want to believe my heart was right, but it's led me astray so many times..._

 

 

_**To bring my family back... To take back the years you stole from me... To have my revenge at long last... To see you suffer and die... Xehanort...** _

 

 

“I can't die! Not here, not yet!” Riku bellowed, as Lingering Will broke past his guard, rushing through the screen of black fire and taking another swing at him. Riku scrambled to dodge and get away, to put keep some kind of distance between him and this invincible beast. “I still have to make amends for all the horrible things I did! I hurt my friends, and I need to make it up to them.” The mass of shadows cloaking Riku rippled and roared, growing in intensity and sheer blackness. “I don't care what happens to me, but I need to see them again and tell them how sorry I am!

 

 

“I need to protect Sora and Kairi!”

 

 

The scintillating aura of pure darkness slithered it's way up Riku's arm, responding to it's master's impassioned plea, before gathering around Soul Eater. Riku held his dark weapon aloft, holding it in both hands – this was it, now or never, do or die, glory or death – as the shadows attached to the sword shot into the air, a blazing blade of impossibly dark energy! With his thoughts fully focused on Sora, Kairi, and home, Riku charged forward and swung at Lingering Will with every last ounce of might and then some. Even as a child, he never gave up, never backed down from challenge, never let any obstacle stop him. He always had the ability and the talent and the drive to do anything he set his mind to. This would be no different!

 

 

For the entirety of the fight, Lingering Will never bothered to try and defend itself, to block or dodge Riku's attacks, instead choosing just to tank the blows. Letting each and every strike hit it, harmlessly bounce off of it, seemingly confident in knowing that whatever Riku could do could not wound it. In response to the coming sword of stygian shadows, however, the sentinel raised it's free hand and caught Soul Eater in it's clutches. Riku would not be dismayed or denied by such an event, growling and roaring, as he forced more of himself and his might into the swing, pushing downward and driving his slash deeper.

 

 

Metallic clinking chimed through the desolate place, as the armoured fiend shook and buckled, knees beginning to bend under the strain of the attack. Dark smoke began to waft off of his his gauntleted glove, as the shadows deeply burned into the alien metal. Riku's face screwed up in anger, the visage of Ansem looking absolutely demonic, as he pushed even further, forcing his foe backwards, as he advanced, leaving divots in the dead, dusty ground where Lingering Will's feet were once planted.

 

 

Wooziness struck Riku in a flash, as he began to crash up against his limits, but the dark warrior ignored it, focusing on what was before him. His dark blade was still locked within the ironclad grasp of the mysterious knight, but he was gaining more and more advantage. Lingering Will was almost brought down to one knee, with it's left arm falling more and more, the blazing shadows rippling around Soul Eater coming precariously close to biting into the crown of it's helmet. One good, solid blow, that's all Riku needed to turn the tides of battle. This attack may have been born from desperation, but where it came from didn't matter, so long as it ended in victory! Just a little more.

 

 

Fingers of blackness licked against the helmet of the sentinel, slightly marring and scuffing the visor. The first sign of Riku's resistance.

 

 

Just a little more!  
  


 

Unexpectedly, Lingering Will dropped it's Keyblade, now seizing onto the sword with both of it's hand. With all of it's strength at it's disposal, Lingering Will was able to push the sword away ever so slightly, giving it some reprieve, though it remained stuck in it's crouching position, trapped under Riku's hellacious power.

 

 

Then, like a flash fire turning into a raging inferno, the rage of the sentinel ignited once more.

 

 

Riku could feel it reverberate in his heart. A decade of hatred in the form of a booming thunderclap.

 

 

_**Xe...ha...NOOOORT!!!** _

 

 

Armoured hands enclosed around the blackened blade, the shadowy flames snuffing out in an instant, while a loud, brutal _CRUNCH_ sound rang out. Riku was so taken aback by the sudden turnabout, he was unable to react or defend himself when Lingering Will lashed out with it's Keyblade, the bronze flanges catching him in the midsection and leaving a jagged cut through leather cloak and flesh. Riku barely had time to choke out painfully, before he was booted in the sternum, knocked backwards once more.

 

 

Two things came to Riku's realization, as he stood back up. The first was the bleeding wound running across his stomach. He gasped in pain – just the latest in a litany of sources of pain in his life – while holding a hand in a vain attempt to staunch the bleeding.

 

 

Lingering Will marched forward, like the implacable juggernaut it was, Riku holding Soul Eater up to defend himself.

 

 

The second thing Riku realized was that Soul Eater had been destroyed, the dark blade snapped in half, leaving a short, stubby blade with a jagged edge, as opposed to the wicked scimitar it was prior.

 

 

Riku's heart sank, as the gravity of everything crashed into him.

 

 

_Namine... Namine was right... I'm going to die here. I-I... I have to get out of here..._

 

 

Quickly, Riku conjured a Dark Corridor, five feet to his right, and darted to it when it was still only half-formed. Lingering Will's blistering speed came into play again, the armoured fiend intercepting it's retreating foe and blasting him in the temple with the flat of it's Keyblade. A second hammering blow caught Riku in the jagged wound on his stomach, dark blood gushing outward, as he fell to the ground once more.

 

 

_**You escaped me before. No. Not again. You will not flee my wrath...** _

 

 

At his wit's end, frustrated by his lack of strength, battered and bruised and broken, Riku slammed his fists into the dirt. Pulled at his long, white hair. Screamed and cursed and raged at the heavens. After all he had been through, after all he and his friends had suffered, was this it? Was this the end for him? Was this the penance for his sins? Had he fought and died and come back to life only for this?

 

 

“I don't understand!” Riku bellowed, Lingering Will looming over him, watching in the totality of it's menacing silence. The sentinel could finish him at anytime it so chose. “I was called here! I saw you. I saw that warrior from so long ago, the man who made me want to see beyond my world.... Why? Why!? He said he chose me. He said that I would find my path if I came here. Where is he? What's happening!?”

 

 

Through bleary, agony filled eyes, Riku looked up at the terrifying titan, the knight barely registering his tirade and his demands. Wherever that warrior was, whatever his connection was to this... thing, Riku would not find his answers here.

 

 

Lingering Will reared up it's Keyblade, the tip aimed downward at Riku's heart.

 

 

Then, in that brief moment between wind-up and strike, a great rumbling roared within the depths of Riku's heart. Darkness poured forth from him in a tremendous tide; a flood of shadows that began to take shape, as it slithered over to the animating armour, pooling around it before rising up in the form of a fiendish servant. The demonic presence of Ansem's Guardian loomed over Lingering Will, wrapping it's malleable being around the armour, binding it in place. Even though the arms of the menacing knight were free, it seemed wholly paralyzed in the grasp of the enigmatic Heartless.

 

 

Despite all the darkness flooding the area, painting the armour, a soft haze of light surrounded it's form; a gentle halation looking out of place against the sentinel and the shadow.

 

 

One of Riku's golden irises turned bright aquamarine, just for a flash of a second, as he saw him.

 

 

He saw him.

 

 

The flickering image of a brown-haired man, tall and noble and strong, overlayed itself across the armour of Lingering Will. He stood perfectly still, eyes shut tight.

 

 

_It's... him!_

 

 

The mystery warrior that had beckoned Riku to this death world stood before him, between him and Lingering Will, in the form of a ghostly image of fading light.

 

 

Buried memories, only half-remembered and dreamed of, came flooding back.

 

 

_It was sundown. Sora and I had been out on the play island. His dad had just called us back, to row us home for the evening...._

 

 

The memories flickered in and out, perfectly clear but not quite making a complete picture.

 

 

“ _Did you come here from the outside world?” A young, six year old Riku asked the stranger._

 

 

“ _Smart kid.” The stranger praised him when he laid out his logic as to why he knew he was a stranger. “Must be hard, huh, being struck in one place.” He had said next, cutting right into the heart of Riku's want and obsession._

 

 

“ _So, how did you get here, anyway?” If there was a way in, then there must be a similar way out._

 

 

_The man answered Riku's question with a question. “Is there a reason you're interested in the outside world?”_

 

 

“ _Yeah. I wanna be strong one day.”_

 

 

The Riku of the present cursed his naivety. He knew full well that mindlessly grabbing at strength would only burn you. The young, innocent boy would suffer for his wants.

 

 

“ _I know it's out there somewhere – the strength that I need.”_

 

 

“ _Strength for what?”_

 

 

“ _To protect the things that matter.” Was Riku's quick response. “You know, like my friends.”_

 

 

Protect.. what matters?

 

 

The memories were interrupted by flashed in Riku's mind's eye. Sora. Kairi. Mickey. Namine. Even Roxas.

 

 

His friends. The things that mattered

 

 

Was that what had started him down this path? Not the desire to be the best or the strongest? To prove himself or outdo Sora? Was it something so innocent and pure and childlike and he had just forgotten in all that had happened?

 

 

_Within the memory, the stranger considered Riku, before approaching him, summoning a great weapon. A sword shaped like a key. Riku stared at the Keyblade with wondrous intent. It was splendid. The weapon of a great hero._

 

 

_Gazing at that marvelous thing, the boy vowed to himself to bare a weapon half that great one day._

 

 

“ _In your hand, take this key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, it's wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me, friend – no ocean will contain you, then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love.”_

 

 

_Riku stared at the stranger, as he uttered the solemn vow, offering the hilt of his weapon to the young boy. With only the slightest hint of hesitation, Riku reached out and took hold of the Keyblade._

 

 

_A spark igniting, nestling itself within the deepest recesses of the boy's heart. Ready. Waiting. One day._

 

 

Riku couldn't believe what he was seeing. What he was remembering. It felt like a dream, but it also felt so real. Was that how it all started? Is that why he has the ability to wield the Keyblade?

 

 

_Sora called Riku over, the stranger promising Riku to secrecy, “Otherwise all the magic will wear off”. And so, Riku left, the stranger departing, this meeting and this power being buried beneath the sands of time and the haze of memory._

 

 

“So... you remember now.” Terra said, eyes still held shut. “Riku.”

 

 

Time had slowed to a crawl. Reality had faded around them. All there was were the two young men, reunited after so many years.

 

 

Only, Terra has a phantom, and Riku under the guise of his worst nightmare. The results of their own dark, twisted paths...

 

 

“You...” It was so much to take in and comprehend, Riku found his words failing him. Not to mention, while the world faded away, the pain in his body had not. He breathed, laboriously, looking up at the elder Key Bearer in amazement.

 

 

“I'm sorry that this happened to you.” Terra hung his head in dismay, sighing. “I would have never thought that boy I met all those years ago would make the same mistakes I did...” A pang of shame struck Riku, as if he had failed a longtime friend or mentor. “But... there's still hope!” Terra looked to Riku, or looked in his direction, as his eyes never opened. “Where I failed to save Aqua and Ven, you can save Sora and Kairi. You still have a chance!”

 

 

Did Terra really believe that? Honestly, Riku wasn't sure if himself did anymore. He had tried so hard, but time and time again, he had only made things worse. Still, beyond that, a question entered from the corner of Riku's mind.

 

 

“Terra... what happened to you?”

 

 

The figment cringed and clenched his teeth. “I... the Xehanort you know of if not the true Xehanort. The original poisoned me against the people I love and, in my moment of weakness, stole my body.” First Ansem wasn't Ansem, now Xehanort wasn't Xehanort? Just how many false identities and other iterations did this mad man have? “All that is left of me in the Realm of Light is my emotions. My rage, my hatred, my determination... all of that grafted to that armour, existing only to find Xehanort and make him suffer.” Terra then blindly considered Riku for a moment. “Or, anyone carrying his essence.”

 

 

Managing to stand up, taking advantage of the breather this timeless, spaceless place bought him, Riku stared at Terra once more. In wonderment. In hope. In dire need for salvation. Without thinking, he reached forward to claw at the stranger who once fueled his dreams, only for his fingers to phase through his illusory form.

 

 

“...You called me here, right?” Riku finally asked, after a too long silence. “Not the armour, you.” Terra nodded, solemnly. “What do I have to do, then, to find my path? To find what I need to protect the things I matter?”

 

 

Terra chuckled, raising a hand a pointing a finger at Riku's chest. The same point Lingering Will was aiming at before this all happened. “All you need to... all you've ever needed to do, is listen to your heart.”

 

 

The simplistic nature of the answer made Riku want to bark with laughter.

 

 

_Listen to my heart..._

 

 

“I've done that! That's what I've always done!” Riku chose to dig further, rather than deny the lifeline outright. He was going to need some kind of help to get him out of this jam. “Listening to my heart has only ever made things worse!” Listening to Maleficent. Stealing the Keyblade from Sora. Letting Ansem creep into his heart. Choosing to attack and kidnap Roxas. In the moment, those felt like the correct decision, but they caused nothing but problems for himself and others.

 

 

“But were you really?” Came Terra's response. Riku studied the blind warrior for a moment, perplex by his deflection and questioning. As if he could read Riku's mind, Terra honed in on the worries running rampant within him. “Or did, deep down, you know what you were doing was wrong, but you pushed it aside. Buried those feelings. Killed your heart, and pressed forward, regardless?”

 

 

Did he? Did he do all that? Riku poured over his memories of those days, trying to divine meaning and truth from them. Did he know turning against Sora was wrong, but convinced himself otherwise? That it would be better letting Roxas be and calling DiZ out on his lies, but acted on fear? Nothing was coming to mind, as Riku continued to drift down the spiral of confusion.

 

 

“There was a reason why I made you my inheritor, all those years ago.” Terra spoke again, his voice managing to snap Riku out of his self-inflicted daze. “Because, even as a child, you knew what mattered. You knew the true meaning of being strong and being a hero. You had something special in your heart.”

 

 

“Yeah, but I-”

 

  
“And it's still there!” Terra quick interrupted, again, as if he could read Riku's mind and perceived his response. “What's more, even if we made the same mistakes, you're already better than me.” Riku blanced at the praise. Even if he couldn't remember specifics, he always had vague memories of the tall hero who visited him as a child, with deep respect and admiration directed to that mystery man. “We both suffered from the darkness, but you stared into the abyss and you didn't blink, Riku! You conquered your fear and made the darkness your own.” A sad smile spread across the face of the Key Bearer. “I... people I love only ever saw the darkness as something to fear. Something to be contained or destroyed. But you proved Aqua and Master Eraqus wrong. You... you're my successor, and you're beginning to rise above my generation and even my Master's.”

 

 

A million questions entered Riku's head. Or, maybe, they were already there. He had no idea how Terra knew all this about him and the others. Who these people were or everything that had happened. He had come here to find answers about himself, but now... there was an entire lost world he had discovered. Terra and his friends. The conflict with the true Xehanort.

 

 

He needed to know.

 

 

But, before Riku could speak up, the phantom image of Terra began to fade away. Slowly. Vanishing from the feet up, his being unraveling before Riku's eyes.

 

 

“No, wait!” Riku called out in shock. “You can't go, yet. I have so many questions! I still don't know -”

 

 

“Yes. You do.”

 

 

Terra's eyes opened, at long lost, revealing the dark blue orbs. There was great strength within this eyes, but they were focused and calm. Gentle and noble. Eyes of a protector and a hero.

 

 

Eyes of the man Riku idolized.

 

 

“The answers you seek, the strength you need, the power I left with you... all of it lies within your heart.”

 

 

Terra turned away, closing his eyes again, as Riku could only watch on, forlornly. The lost Master was growing dimmer by the second, he felt like he should say or do something, but everything failed him.

 

 

All could manage was to quietly croak out, “Thank you... Terra.”

 

 

“I'm glad we got to meet again, Riku.” Terra returned, a smile appearing on his lips. “I'm glad I could help you, too. Now, do me proud...”

 

 

In a flash, Riku returned to the living world. To the deadlands he had came from.

 

 

He was now standing before the imposing figure of Lingering Will, Keyblade still raised in anger. Other than the sudden absence of the Guardian, it was as if nothing had changed. As if he had never left.

 

 

_Answer, strength, power... all of it lies in my heart..._

 

 

Strangely enough, the armour was not moving, only holding it's weapon up in a threatening manner. Wound up and ready to strike. As if the Guardian was still had it within it's clutches. As if it was more than willing to give Riku the time to deliberate on what he had learned.

 

 

Was it just Terra's rage, or was there something more to this thing...?

 

 

_Figure that out later, Riku... you have more important things to deal with._

 

 

_The power Terra gave me... that's the Keyblade, obviously. I can wield one because of that ritual he performed._ That answer was obvious enough, at least. _The strength I need is for Sora and Kairi and Namine's sake.... And the answers... Terra called me here so that he could help me find them and... and awaken those memories!_

 

 

The Keyblade! _His_ Keyblade. The unformed weapon buried within his very soul. That was the key to everything.

 

 

But... Riku had never been able to summon his Keyblade, before. Only steal the one Sora wielded. Even if he was meant to bear one, had the potential, it didn't mean he deserved it. Back then.

 

 

_That was a year ago. I am a completely different person than the jealous boy I used to be..._

 

 

So then, why did the Keyblade originally reject him and pick Sora? Because Sora had a strong heart? Because his motivations were more pure? No, no... that felt wrong...

 

 

_Because... because..._

 

 

“I'm not afraid of the darkness!”

 

 

Those words echoed in the recesses of Riku's mind. Words spoken by an all too ignorant youth. He had come to accept and tame his own darkness, but in doing so he had come to learn something. There was the natural and usually benign darkness which existed within the hearts of every beings, and then there was the malignant, destructive darkness wielded and used by the Heartless, by Maleficent...

 

 

_By Xehanort!_

 

 

Riku looked down at himself. At the form he was taking. Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness; Xehanort's Heartless.

 

 

He looked at his wrecked weapon in his hands. Soul Eater. Forged when he started his service in Maleficent's employ; forged from the twisted shadows that followed the dark faerie wherever she went.

 

 

But, in Riku's mind, his current form and his weapon were shackles holding him down. Keeping him trapped. Preventing him from realizing his true potential. Cancerous shadows that were strangling the life out of him.

 

 

A glint of sunlight bounced off the coppery armour of Lingering Will, causing Riku to look up at his still frozen assailant.

 

 

_And this thing... it's only after Xehanort. It only exists to fight and destroy any pieces of Xehanort it encounters..._

 

 

This was the answer to the dilemma that had long hounded him.

 

 

_I just hope it's the right answer..._

 

 

Riku cast the destroyed sword aside, staring down the rampaging sentinel before him, arms widespread, inviting the knight to attack him.

 

 

Lingering Will plunged it's Keyblade into Riku's chest.

 

 

Riku screamed, long and loud. But whatever sound he made was consumed by the howling winds of this accursed world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is always darkest before the dawn, and we always suffer greatest before we achieve salvation. Such is Riku's path.
> 
>  
> 
> One of the things I set upon myself when I started this project WAAAY back when was to try and keep the beats of the story in-line with the canon Kingdom Hearts II as much as possible; to prevent things from getting wild and crazy and out of hand. But, while I would try and keep things parallel to a point, I also made it so that, as things progressed, the story would become more and more divergent. Kairi going to a world Sora hadn't visited was a big break from the story beats, but more in a cosmetic one. This here – Riku on the Graveyard, meeting Terra and Lingering Will – that was meant to be the first very very big change in terms of story. Massively divergent in Riku's arc (which, as I have mentioned before, I am not a fan of Riku's arc in II; why is it Riku always gets the shaft in the numbered games?) but something I think fits in line with the character and how things could have gone.
> 
>  
> 
> On another note, it honestly does bug me that Terra never ends up being a part of Riku's arc/growth/motivations/anything. You spend all this time in BBS setting up connections between characters, but nothing comes of it. The trigger is never pulled. And part of that is, I feel the characters are no longer allowed to exist outside their original circles; their development and moments are confined within pre-conceived relationships. Kairi only gets moments with Sora; the BBS trio only exists within the BBS trio; Roxas is stuck with his toxic-ass friendships and being slowly choked out.
> 
>  
> 
> Anyways, beyond all that, you can probably gather – now that Kairi has crossed paths with Aqua and Riku has met with Terra – that Sora and Ven will share a conversation, as well. It's all a matter of when and how, now isn't it? Stay tuned on that front...
> 
>  
> 
> While the Keyblade Graveyard is a little bland in terms of gameplay design and aesthetics, it's reveal in the secret endings for KH II were nothing less than astounding, and I'm glad I took the opportunity to write about the world. Tried my best to convey the sheer dread this world contains. Because those videos, the original build up to the Graveyard... it's just perfect! In a handful of seconds, upon seeing this barren land and all these discarded Keyblades, you get an immediate sense of the scope of the Keyblade War – it's size, the lives it took, the damage inflicted – all without a single word of dialogue or narration. Picture perfect visual storytelling, and any attempt to create a narrative around the Keyblade War following those images would only serve to undermine their power and ruin any mystique they held.
> 
>  
> 
> So what did Square do? Why, they created an entire narrative – an entire sub-francrhise – dedicated to detailing the events of the Keyblade War following the images of the secret endings, undermining the power of those images and ruining any mystique they once held.
> 
>  
> 
> Womp womp.
> 
>  
> 
> That will do it for me for now. Be sure to drop a line – leave a review or comment if you could please – about whatever is on your mind. What you liked. What you didn't like. Any predictions going forward. Anything and everything would be dearly appreciated. I know it's wrong of me to be doing this solely for praise and feedback, but I am starting to get a little frustrated by the deafening silence my works seem to beckon.
> 
>  
> 
> Until next time, let the light guide you on your path forward.


	16. What Are We Fighting For?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before we start, let me say a quick thank you to **Frost_Glaive** who left a bunch of comments on the story the past week. Thank you very much for the support and feedback, Glaive! It means so much to me.

**She Will Light The Way  
Chapter Sixteen  
What Are We Fighting For?**   
  


 

Night fell across the city, but it did not bring peace with it.

 

 

The shadows stirred and stalked across San Fransokyo, on the prowl for victims. The citizens of the technological metropolis were prisoners in their own homes, less they be nothing more than prey for the Heartless.

 

 

Luxord observed all this from on high, standing at the peak of the city's once vibrant skyline. While the Key Bearer and her allies may have escaped from him, it wouldn't take much difficulty to track them down... If he so inclined to do that. But the gamer Nobody felt like prolonging the hunt, prolonging the game, seeing what other pleasure he could eke out from the conflict between him and his lacking foe.

 

 

Besides, Luxord knew why the girl had come to this world. And he knew where she would be going. All he had to do was keep his eye on the Blackheart Stone and he would have his rematch.

 

 

Potential scenarios for their fated rematch played in the Nobody's head, hoping that the last, lonely Key Bearer in the Realm would offer a bit more of a challenge.

 

 

“Perhaps I overdid it with the stunt today.” Luxord mused to himself, once again shuffling a deck of cards. Though, it wasn't your garden variety playing cards this go around. The Nobody shook his head, chuckling and grinning sickly as he remembered the desperate display from earlier in the day. “But it's far too entertaining! The girl makes for such an easy target...”

 

 

Behind the soliloquizing Nobody, a Dark Corridor sprang to life, Luxord's smile vanishing as it's summoner crossed the threshold.

 

 

“Oh, of course you would come to ruin my mood. Out with it! Deliver your tirade and then go skulking back to the Superior's side...”

 

 

Saix barely reacted to his comrade's dismissal. “I care not for your 'mood' or 'entertainment', Number X.” Saix strode forward, eyes locked on the Gambler of Fate. “Our Superior expressly forbade us from crossing blades with the girl. That only the Silhouettes would be allowed to battle her.” Luxord groaned and rolled his eyes. “You do know the punishment for disregarding the Superior's order, don't you?”

 

 

The blond Nobody only scoffed and shook his head, turning to the scarred individual and giving him an annoyed grimace. “You know, I would give just about anything to have you be the one to perish in Castle Oblivion in place of Vexen, Zexion, or Lexaues. True gentlemen that understood the value of relaxation and a good game!” Saix did not react to the series of barbs launched this way, simply stoically staring at his comrade with those awful, baleful yellow eyes. “Even Demyx! Softhearted though he may be, the lad possessed an elegant _joie de vivre_ that is sorely lacking from our dear Organization nowadays.”

 

 

“Your complaints are irrelevant.” Saix grumbled out his reply. “Return to the Castle, Number X. That's an order from a higher-ranking officer.” Luxord flippantly waved-off said “higher-ranking officer”.

 

 

“I will return when I'm good and ready! Besides, tell me, why is the Superior so concerned with what happens to us, hmm?” Luxord cocked an eyebrow, trying to draw any sort of emotion from the other Nobody. Admittedly, Saix had his brow furrowed and eyes narrowed, lips curled into a scowl. It wasn't much, but annoyance was something...

 

 

“The Superior has grasped the light of the future, seen the truth with his own eyes!” Luxord continued, eyes returning to the eerily quiet cityscape before him. Scanning. The Keyblade Wielding Princess was out there. Unaware of here impending fate. “The girl falls. The boys fall. We triumph. It's fate. Destiny. Set in stone!” The remnants of excitement flared up within the void of emotion Luxord possessed. He faintly recalled claiming victory in a game of Russian Roulette. At winning the life savings of some foolish bloke at the poker table, later learning he ended his own life because of the loss. “If our destiny is absolute victory, then why bother playing such a cautious game?”

 

 

Saix made an annoyed noise with his mouth, baring his teeth briefly. “The Superior may have glimpsed the future, but even he in all his power didn't witness everything. His triumph is assured. Our presence there is not.” A subtle wave of his hand, and Saix created another Corridor. “Great events are set in stone, little things can change on a whim. You don't want to end up like Xaldin, brought low by a weakling, do you?”

 

 

“I will take that gamble.” Luxord said with utmost pride in himself. “I _relish_ it.”

 

 

By this point in time, Saix had turned his attention away from Luxord, moving towards the new Corridor. “If you will not listen to reason or logic, then be that way. When you do return, just don't complain when your are given the maximum punishment for your infractions.”

 

 

With one last exchange of icy glares, Saix returned to the darkness, leaving Luxord alone on the rooftop once more.

 

 

“'Little things can change on a whim', eh...” Luxord eyed the deck of cards in his hand, pondering the words of his aggravating comrade, the abilities of his Superior, and the mercurial nature of fate. “Why I may lack the talent to peer into the heady stream of time itself, I still believe I can divine what destiny has in store.” The gamer Nobody hurled his Tarot deck into the air, cards scattering all about him. “Let us begin!”

 

 

A dramatic wave of his arms followed, the sharp descent of the cards came to a sudden halt, a cloud of paper surrounding the Nobody, each and everyone of them having their backsides facing him. They were not wholly frozen, though, as the swarmed and circle around his nonperson. The Tarot practically buzzing in anticipation of the coming divination.

 

 

Luxord snapped his fingers and ordered, “First, the players in our little game.” The cards shifted their position, some darting away from Luxord, others aligning with him, before a handful of them flipped over. Three in particular stood close to their master, before flipping themselves over.

 

 

A woman in white clerical garb, kneeling between two pillars, numbered II.

 

 

A carefree man in colourful attire, carrying a stick bindle and accompanied by a dog, numbered 0.

 

 

A man in plain robes, wielding a wand in his left hand, pointed upwards, while his right hand lay downward, numbered I.

 

 

“Ah, I see.” Luxord observed the cards before him with a keen eye. Of course, he knew all the meanings and reading of the Tarot, and was supremely confident in his talent at divination. “The High Priestess – the wielder of truth and the seeker of mysteries – and The Fool – a man on a journey, possessing infinite potential. No doubt our two Key Bearers.” His vision then drifted to the third card, which drew a pleased chuckle. “The Magician, talent and skill beyond compare! Who else could it be but my illustrious self? Oh, fates, you do flatter me...”

 

 

Another card was hovering near The Fool, High Priestess, and Magician, this one depicting a twisted, demonic figure with two helpless humans shackled to the beast, branded number XV.

 

 

“The Devil – temptation and obsession. If I were to hazard a guess, that would be our magnificent Superior. Or, one of his other selves. Or perhaps all of them put together.”

 

 

A few other of the Arcana hung within the periphery of the main four. The Strength, The Hermit, The Hanged Man, and The Empress, but Luxord paid them little mind. To him, they were less important than the two Keyblade users and the Organization members. After all, who else could possible merit inclusion among this group?

 

 

“Now that our players are set... show me conflict!” Luxord ordered, as the cards stirred themselves again. “Show me the coming final battle!”

 

 

In a flurry of movement, The Fool and The Devil siddled off, while The Priestess and Magician remained. A third, hidden card slid into view, hovering above the two other Arcana, before turning to reveal itself. A perilous tower struck by a lightning bolt, numbered XVI.

 

 

Luxord could hardly contain his mirth at the revelation.

 

 

“The Tower! Ruin and destruction! YES! So, the Magician and The High Priestess shall meet at The Tower...” The future scenario was already playing out in the mind of Luxord. Undoubtedly he would be the one to deliver the final blow to the wayward Princess of Heart. That the winding road of her quest would bring her to him and end in utter heartbreak. “And then, one last ask for you, oh weavers of fate.... Show me what lies beyond this final battle. Show me the ultimate end to this sordid little tale of ours! Show me...”

 

 

All the other Arcana card flew away, save one, which slowly turned itself over.

 

 

Tarot Number XXI...

 

 

“The World!”

 

 

Destiny. Completeness. Perfect harmony. Realization of all things.

 

 

What else could it be, but the Organization's goal? What else was The World but Kingdom Hearts?

 

 

More than pleased with the result of the reading, Luxord turned away, satisfied and off to find the next thrill. Perhaps a pachinko den or some sort of gambling ring. Something to take the edge off and bide the time before the coming destiny.

 

 

“Oh, it seems we have quite an exciting future ahead of us, Kairi Ralleone...

 

 

“Though you will suffer far more by the hands of fate than yours truly. A victim, once and forever, that is your dismal fate.”

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Kairi brought a hand to her cheek, instantly regretting the contact. Pain coursed as she winced, but the contraction of muscles in her face just made the pain spike even higher. A Cura spell had done it's work for dulling the pain, reducing the swelling, and (hopefully) preventing any unseemly bruises from forming, but the two punch marks on her face still hurt like all hell.

 

 

They were nothing, however, in comparison to the ache in her heart.

 

 

Kairi had spent the better part of two hours – maybe even longer – wandering around the unfamiliar, dark halls of Fred's family's mansion. Even if her mindset was in a better place, Kairi was still pretty sure she would be dazed and confused and afraid being in such a strange place, all on her own. Perhaps even a little frightened. She certainly was afraid now, but that had less to do with where she was and more what she had done. What she had found out she was capable of doing...

 

 

It felt childish to admit it, but Kairi really wished her mom was here, right now. To hug and soothe her and tell her everything would be all right, just like whenever she had a nightmare when she was younger.

 

 

_But would I want mom to see me like this?_ Kairi thought, mournfully. Her aimless wandering brought her outside, into the chilly night air. She shuffled out onto an immaculate lawn, pass extravagant topiary sculptures. In the distance, she could hear the faint sounds of metalwork. _What would she think when she found what happened?_

 

 

What would anyone she knew and loved and respected think of her after tonight? Paine had always talked against Kairi focusing on what others thought of her, of working only to impress others, but she supposed it was just a bad habit she had. She couldn't help but think of what Sora would say to her. Or Riku. King Mickey. Aqua. Leon and the others. Selphie and the girls.

 

 

_Shame and hatred and rejection, no doubt. Everyone thinks your such a nice girl, Kairi. A perfect little sweetheart. But you know better. Your heart is ugly and full of contradictions. You're weak and cowardly and selfish. You're no hero, you're a monster..._

 

 

In truth, part of the reason Kairi was in such a state was because she was confused. Confused over what had happened and unsure about how to feel. Sure, she could admit Paine had a point in that prioritizing rescuing Sora and having her revenge on the Organization over the lives of her friends was wrong. She made a mistake. A huge mistake. She was big enough to admit that. In the moment, her obsessions overrode the rational part of her being. She gave into weakness and temptation, wandered right into Luxord's trap.

 

 

It was a miracle everyone made it out with as little damage as they did.

 

 

But, beyond that, Kairi was left with lingering questions. Luxord's accusations that she didn't love Sora as much as he clearly cared for her had rattled her, ashamed as she was to admit. There was no way she would trade the life of another for Sora – whether consciously or through her own negligence again – but, then, what would she be willing to give up for Sora? Would she return the favour and sacrifice her freedom? Would she be willing to cast herself into the darkness to pull him back into the light? Did her devotion match his? Did it matter if it did or didn't? Was sacrifice noble and good like it was in all the stories? Or was it something selfish and horrible like Paine argued?

 

 

Over and over, around and around Kairi's mind went in a futile circle, desperately trying to answer these questions, only to have it elude her. She felt like she couldn't face Paine and the others without figuring this out. without taming the storm that rocked her heart. She screwed up, she failed, she needed to find a path to redemption...

 

 

And, above all else, two other question hung above her head, heavier than the others.

 

 

Why was she here and what was she fighting for?

 

 

Why did the Keyblade choose her?

 

 

_It's not for Sora. It can't just be for Sora..._ But then if not Sora, then what?

 

 

Kairi still didn't feel like she was deserving of wielding such a weapon, something that could change the course of history for the entire Realm. An object that fate itself seemed to revolve around. She wasn't strong or brave or relentlessly determined like Riku. She didn't possess Sora's charm or boundless optimism. Even through her short time journeying through the worlds, she had met people who certainly seemed more deserving than her. After all, Kairi was just a kid from the Islands, someone who, until a month ago, only really concerned herself with her grades at school, having fun with her friends, and what role she would get in the school play. Someone who enjoyed political science and lived for her morning tea, volleyball games with Selphie, going out to the theatre, watching old debates or baseball games with her mom on Sunday afternoon...

 

 

_So why? Why me? There has to be a greater reason here._

 

 

The redhead's temples throbbed and ached, her forehead flushed. Kairi clutched at the top of her head and groaned, shaking vigorously. All this thinking and racking her brain was getting her no where save a trip to headache city...

 

 

The clamour of metalwork had grown louder in the intervening time. Desperate for any sort of distraction from her troubles, Kairi craned her head to the source of the din.

 

 

It was Hiro, surprisingly enough. The boy genius seemed to have scrabbled together enough equipment from around the mansion to begin the task of repairing Baymax' armour. And he had done a solid enough job, too, considering the lack of time and the sheer damage Luxord had inflicted to the bright red suit. Sure, there were still scuffs and chips rent large on the surface, but it looked to be in good working order, aesthetics not withstanding.

 

 

Currently, as Kairi approached across the damp lawn, Hiro was fiddling around with Baymax' helmet, the white, plushy robot standing idly by as the boy worked.

 

 

“ _Someone is approaching_.” Baymax chirped, without warning, causing Hiro to jump in start and almost drop the helmet. Kairi herself was a little surprised, she had been moving towards them with the utmost stealth, trying to just observe from a far.

 

 

“Oh, it's your, Kairi...” Hiro said when he caught glimpse of her through the darkness, before going back to work.

 

 

“Yeah, just me...” She returned, picking up her pace to where the two were. “How're you doing, Hiro?” She had not seen nor heard from the boy since the confrontation between him and GoGo.

 

 

“I'm fine...” Hiro grunted out, totally absorbed in his work. Behind him, Baymax' systems whirred and beeped.

 

 

“ _The two of your appear to have elevated blood pressure. You appear to be distressed._ ”

 

 

Again, Kairi reared back, a little sheepish and a little surprised. Baymax sure could cut to the heart of the matter, couldn't he?

 

 

Hiro, however, ignored the robot's intrusion, repeating himself, “I'm fine...”

 

 

Finishing his work on the helm, Hiro marched backward and up step-ladder that had been placed in front of Baymax, slamming the object down over the robot's rotund head.

 

 

“Hiro, what are you doing out here?” Kairi finally asked. Obviously, there wasn't a whole lot of places the boy could go, but scrounging for tools to do emergency repairs?

 

 

_I guess everyone has their own way of dealing with their grief and frustrations. Better than wandering aimlessly, trying to solve unanswerable questions._

 

 

“Baymax' long-range scanner was damaged in the fight.” Came Hiro's answer, still fixing the helmet in place. “I need it to find that guy...”

 

 

“Luxord?”

 

 

“Yeah...” Hiro's voice descended to a venomous growl.

 

 

“Do you really think that's a good idea?” Kairi tried her best not to sound nagging. Hiro had been through a lot, and it wouldn't do either of them any good if she set him off again. “Baymax took a lot of damage in the fight. And that's even if you can find him...”

 

 

“Well, I have to find him!” Hiro snapped back. The boy must have realized he went a little too far, frightened his new friend a little too much, as he reeled back his emotions. “He... he took Tadashi away. I can't just let him wander freely.” Hiro stomped his way back down the ladder. “I thought you would understand me, more than the others. These creeps took someone away from you too, right?”

 

 

“Well, yeah, but-”

 

 

“Then you get it! You're probably just as mad as I am. You want revenge as much as me...”

 

 

Did she? Kairi herself wasn't sure. Wasn't sure of anything right now. Yes, she hated the Organization for what they had done to her. Just seeing those black cloaks lit a blazing fire of pure rage within her. And when she thought of whatever they had done to other people beyond her, it only fed that inferno, created an all-consuming wildfire. But...

 

 

_Is that why I have the Keyblade? Is that my purpose? To tear down the Organization in fire and blood?_ Fiery anger aside, that didn't feel right. Kairi didn't think herself a violent, vengeful person.

 

 

...But then she remembered how she charged Xaldin and Lexaues with anger born in her heart. She clashed with Luxord despite all logic and her friends telling her not to.

 

 

_I'm asking for my purpose, for why I'm fighting, but I may not even know ..._

 

 

In the meantime, Hiro had gone back to examining Baymax, asking the robot, “There? Is it working?”

 

 

The visor of the helmet lit up, as Baymax craned his head about. “ _My sensor is. Operational_.”

 

 

“Good.” Hiro made his way back up the step-ladder, fiercely determined. Borderline furious.

 

 

“Hiro, I really don't think this is a good idea...” Kairi said, as Hiro made his way to the highest step, fist hammering on the robot's access port.

 

 

“Why not?” Hiro countered, clenching his teeth. Doing his best not to lose his temper again. “I need to do this. I _have_ to do this. You get it right?” Kairi bit down on her lip.

 

 

“Luxord... the Nobodies are all so strong. I don't want to see you or Baymax get hurt.” It was a feeble excuse, but it was all she had. Right now, Kairi felt like she was the only thing standing between Hiro and an untimely end.

 

 

Hiro wasn't hearing any of it, however. “I can we, we can win, I know it! If you want – if it makes you feel better – come with us. We'll fight together and Sora and Tadashi...” Hiro trailed off, still slamming down on the port. But, much to his confusion, it wouldn't budge.

 

 

“ _Are you planning to remove my. Health care chip?_ ” Baymax asked, a heavy question, but delivered in his neutral, robotic tones.

 

 

“Yes! Now open....” At this point, Hiro was clawing at the tiny crevices that made up the port's shutters, trying to manually pry it open.

 

 

“Hiro...” Kairi said, quietly.

 

 

“ _My purpose is to the heal the sick and injured..._ ”

 

 

“Baymax, open your access port!” Hiro ordered, temper growing shorter and shorter with each passing minute.

 

 

Kairi swallowed. She really should step in and defuse the situation, but she felt like if she wasn't able to help herself, how could she help another?

 

 

_Hiro and my pain aren't the same, but they're similar. I don't have the answers to help me, I have no right to butt-in on something like this...._ After all, Sora was gone but alive; there was still a faint glimmer of hope of bringing him back. Tadashi was dead. And, as far as Kairi knew, even in this crazy world she had been thrown in to, death was still final. Nothing could change that.

 

 

Still, Kairi felt incredibly guilty with herself for rationalizing it that way. For giving up on someone in need...

 

 

“ _Do you want me to terminate the man in the black cloak?_ ” Baymax asked, standing eerily still, even as Hiro was practically trying to bury his fingers into the shiny red armour.

 

 

“Just. Open.”

 

 

At this point, Hiro had resorted to removing the bulky breastplate of the armour, now attacking the bare port, the only hard piece standing against the white, plastic shell of the health care robot.

 

 

“ _Will terminating the man in black improve your emotional state?_ ”

 

 

Kairi felt stricken by the question, even if it wasn't directed at her. Succeeding in combat gave her a good feeling – winning always felt good, after all – but never relief, never satisfaction. She certainly didn't feel good after eking out a win over Xaldin. Nor when she put down the Silhouette of Lexaues. And she was certain the tumult in her heart wouldn't settle down because she used her Keyblade to fell Luxord. But then why did she always leap to combat with anger in her heart, like a shark lost amidst the blood frenzy?

 

 

“Hiro, please, you have to stop...” Despite her earlier reluctance to butt-in, Kairi heard herself call out to the boy, almost automatically.

 

 

“Yes!” Hiro answered Baymax, ignoring Kairi's pleas, but his voice was shaky and uneven. He was stammering and fumbling with this words. “No! I-I-I don't know! Open up!” The genius went back to his prior task, frantically clawing at the port. “Open you access...”

 

 

“ _Is this what Tadashi would wanted?_ ”

 

 

“Hiro, listen -” Kairi lurched forward, willing her body to move, planning to grab Hiro and remove him from Baymax. She didn't know why, but she had to stop this...

 

 

“It doesn't matter!”  
  


  
“ _Tadashi programmed me to aid in the -_ ”

 

 

“Tadashi is gone!”

 

 

Hiro roared those words at the top of his lungs, maximum volume and maximum emotion. Kairi stopped dead in her tracks, as the boy slumped over, defeated, resting himself against the broad white chest of Baymax. Hiro was a small boy – smaller than Kairi, who wasn't all that tall herself – but right now, half-curled against the robot, eyes shut, hands trembling, he looked so vulnerable and tiny.

 

 

Kairi felt a stabbing in her heart, hearing Hiro's confession. That expression, that tone... she knew it all too well. Even if Sora and Tadashi's separation were of different levels of severity, the pain Hiro was feeling was all too familiar. The pain of admitting your loss and soaking in your grief. Of realizing what had happened and how you were at fault.

 

 

Flashing back to waking up on Hollow Bastion, tearfully telling the tale to Leon and the others, Kairi did her best to fight back the tears, before moving forward, placing a gentle hand on Hiro's back.

 

 

To hell with her questions and heartache. Hiro Hamada was in need of a friend and some help. No one else was around. Kairi figured she would just have to do.

 

 

“Hiro...” She softly, very softly, rubbed the back of the heartbroken genius, searching for the right words to provide some kind of aid. “I'm so sorry.... What the Organization's has done – to you, to me, to so many others – is monstrous. Even if it's only a tiny amount, I know how you feel. How much it hurts.” Hiro remained silent and unmoving, not that Kairi was expecting much from the boy. “But we can't just give in to that pain. That grief. We have to keep moving forward.”

 

 

_You're one to talk, hypocrite._ Her internal monologue spat, caustically. _You're entire life the past month has solely revolved around Sora. You can't move on, no matter what. You'll always be stuck in that mire of grief and despair_

 

 

Kairi grimaced and pushed those dark thoughts aside.

 

 

“That's what Sora would want of me. And, I have a feeling Tadashi would feel the same way.”

 

 

“Tadashi is gone...” Hiro mumbled again, miserably.

 

 

“ _Tadashi is here._ ”

 

 

“No... he's not here...”

 

 

“ _Tadashi is here._ ”

 

 

Baymax' insistence was warranted, as a panel on his chest lit up. A pixelated screen formed, blurry images slowly coming into focus, as a new voice spoke up, joining the chorus.

 

 

“ _This is Tadashi Hamada._ ”

 

 

Immediately, at the sound of his departed brother's voice, Hiro perked up, standing upright. In his haste, he almost fell off the ladder, but Kairi was there to catch him, holding the scrawny youth in her arms.

 

 

On the screen, which both Kairi and Hiro watched with rapt attention, was an older teenaged man, tall and fairly handsome, with more than a passing resemblance to Hiro, standing in some sort of lab, holding a small blackboard which read “ **Test #1** ”, etched in chalk, in rather poor writing.

 

 

“ _And this is the first test of my robotics project._ ”

 

 

The elder Hamada brother then reach off-screen to flip a switch, prompting an oddly familiar voice to speak up.

 

 

“ _Hello. I am Bay – ERRRR_ ”

 

 

An ear-splitting burst of static and distortion assaulted Baymax' speaker, causing both Kairi and Hiro to cringe in pain. Tadashi mirrored their reaction, scrambling to shut the robot off and silence the cacophony.

 

 

Hiro stared on in wide-eyed amazement, both from being able to see and hear his brother again, and to see the process he went through of creating Baymax.

 

 

It was not a smooth process, as the screen continued to transition from recording to recording, Tadashi showing up in different outfits, different amount of light streaming through the lab's windows.

 

 

“ _This is the seventh test of my robotics project._ ”

 

 

This time, the screen quickly jumped to Baymax' plush, inflatable arms flailing about, assaulting the teen inventor, causing both Kairi and Hiro to fight back a series of giggles. It was a soft, plush robot, for crying out loud! Seeing someone like Tadashi feebly attempt to stop it, shy away from each hit, it was all too much!

 

 

Then, one of the arms literally flew off of Baymax' body, smacking Tadashi in the face. The dam burst, and Kairi and Hiro doubled over lauging.

 

 

“ _Wait, wait! Stop! Stop scan -_ ”

 

 

On and on it went. Each time Tadashi introduced the project, a new malady would follow, without fail, the inventor growing more and more despondent and frustrated with each passing video log. Kairi was impressed by his resolve and fortitude; she had a history of getting frustrated when faced with a hard task and just giving up, memories of the months it took her mom to teach her how to ride a bike coming to the forefront. Hiro was mesmerized by the sheer effort it took his brother to build Baymax, but that idolization soon turned to a look of crestfallen shame.

 

 

That emotional transition did not escape Kairi's notice.

 

 

Minutes of video footage played, before it hit attempt number thirty-three. Tadashi wearily introduced himself again, before a shower of electrical sparks rained down on him. Everything went black, save for a tiny flashlight Tadashi himself held, inspecting the prototype Baymax.

 

 

“ _I'm not giving up on you. You don't understand this, but people need you. So let's get back to work._ ”

 

 

The sincerity of the words shone through the archival footage, Kairi feeling the dedication and love Tadashi had poured into the robot. Baymax was more than a hobby or school project, it was something that could change the world. That's what Tadashi Hamada believed during all these fruitless hours of labour.

 

 

Baymax was something worth creating. A goal worth working towards.

 

 

Hiro's eyes darted downward, mouth open slightly. Kairi saw this expression, too, and was more than familiar with it. Shame. The feeling you had let someone close to you down.

 

 

The footage continued to roll, Kairi and Hiro watching mostly in silence, as Tadashi continued to struggle up the mountain, the stress of failure beginning to weigh down on the young man. Every introduction became less and less vibrant and hopeful until...

 

 

“ _This is, uh, Tadashi Hamada and this is the eighty-fourth..._ ” Tadashi paused and checked his blackboard, rubbing on eye with his fist. He sighed, wearily “ _test... Whadya say, big guy?_ ”

 

 

Tadashi, once again, hit the off-screen switch, holding his breath for success.

 

 

“ _Hello. I am Baymax. Your personal. Health care companion._ ”

 

 

On screen, Tadashi stared back at Hiro and Kairi, wide-eyed and disbelieving.

 

 

“ _It works..._ ” Tadashi said softly.

 

 

“ _He works!_ ” He boomed, jubilantly, shuffling about in anxious anticipation. “ _Oh, this is amazing!_ _You – you work!_ ”

 

 

Tadashi rushed forward and kissed Baymax' camera, his breath and lip mark fogging up the screen.

 

 

“ _I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!_ ”

 

 

As his elder brother celebrated, Hiro's countenance took on a look of relief and happiness, basking in his brother's success after so long. Kairi put an arm over his shoulder and held the smaller boy close, silently affirming his belief in his brother.

 

 

“ _Okay, okay, big moment here. Scan me._ ” Tadashi present himself to Baymax, before a low thrumming sound erupted from the speakers.

 

 

“ _Your neurotransmitter levels are. Elevated. This indicates that you are. Happy._ ”

 

 

Tadashi looked so happy that he could cry, almost collapsing on the spot. “ _I am. I really am. Oh, man... wait 'till my brother sees you._ ”

 

 

Kairi looked down at said brother, seeing gentle tears streaming from Hiro's eyes, warmly smiling at his brother.

 

 

_Oh, you have no idea, Tadashi..._

 

 

“ _You're gonna help so many people, buddy. So many... Well, that's all for now. I am satisfied with my care._ ”

 

 

The recording came to a stop, Tadashi's image frozen on Baymax' chest, as Hiro reached out a loving hand towards him.

 

 

Then, remembering where he was and who he was with, Hiro turned away from Kairi, sheepishly clearing his throat and knuckling away a tear. Kairi chuckled at that; it didn't matter what world she went to, all boys were the same. They all wanted to look macho in front of a girl.

 

 

“Thank you, Baymax...” Hiro finally managed to say, almost breathless due to the torrent of emotion he felt. “And I'm so sorry for what I did to you... I guess I'm not like my brother, after all...”

 

 

“Hiro...” Kairi snaked her arms around the young boy, resting her chin atop his head. “I may not be the person to say this, but please don't beat yourself up over this.” Hiro was clearing doing his best to fight back the tears. Kairi wouldn't care if he cried or not. She had shed more than enough tears over her loved ones, these past few weeks. “You made a mistake, yes, but you still have a chance to do right by it. To make it up to everyone. To Baymax. To Tadashi...”

 

 

“I... yeah.” Hiro gulped something down, grimly clenching his teeth, but nodding along all the same.

 

 

“But... your brother built Baymax to help others.” Kairi had seen the expression on Hiro's face. She knew that he knew he had crossed a line by turning Baymax into a mindless war machine. Thankfully, though, the young genius had pulled back from the edge before it was too late, before any last damage was inflicted. “And, more important than that...” Kairi looked up at Baymax, the robot looking down at her and blinking. “Baymax is your friend, isn't he?”

 

 

“Yeah...” Hiro gulped down another lump of emotion. “How 'bout it, buddy?” Hiro said, now addressing Baymax. “Is friendship a part of your health care protocol?”

 

 

The processors powering the bot hummed to life. “ _Companionship is an important part of. Mental health. I am more than willing to be friends with you, Hiro. And. Kairi._ ”

 

 

Both humans smiled at the robot's announcement, glad to share a moment of levity like that with each other.

 

 

_Baymax. The Keyblade. They are things meant to make the lives of people better._ Kairi wasn't sure if that was her answer, but it was a step in the right direction, at least.

 

 

“So... I guess I should go back to the others,” Hiro said, awkwardly shuffling his feet. “Face the music, after what I did...” Kairi smiled at that, offering a hand. Hiro wasn't the only one who had to answer for mistakes they made in the heat of the moment.

 

 

“Don't worry about it, Hiro. I'll be there, and so will Baymax. We'll go together.”

 

 

The trio made their way back through the spacious mansion grounds in silence, though their task was easier said then done. Fred's home was huge, and Kairi and Hiro weren't exactly paying attention to where they were going during their depressive funk. As they approached the room, Paine and Yuna's voices managed to reach them through the closed doorway.

 

 

“You went too far this time, Paine.” Yuna scolded her companion, repeating her words from earlier. “She's just a girl – younger than I was when I went on my pilgrimage – you're far too hard on her!”

 

 

“It's the opposite, actually. You coddle her too much.” Paine countered, searingly cold. “It doesn't matter how young or old she is, the way she acts isn't going to cut it. If she thinks Sora is more important than us, then that's fine. She can get along without us.”

 

 

Kairi flinched at Paine's scolding, shying away from the door. Hiro placed a hand on her back, silently urging her on. Baymax, too. If she was going to be here for them, they would stand by Kairi, as well.

 

 

Both Kairi and Hiro took a deep breath, before crossing the threshold, finding all of their collective friends still gathered there, standing about a table and discussing something. They had fortunately entered during a lull between the arguments and bickering.

 

 

Yuna was the first to notice their entry.

 

 

“Kairi!” The brunette rushed over to greet her wayward friends, the eyes of everyone else following her. Soon, a full crowd a formed around Kairi and Hiro.

 

 

Paine hanged back, glaring in the general direction of the redheaded Key Bearer.

 

 

“Guy, I, uh -” Hiro started, addressing his four other friends, but soon stopped himself when GoGo came to the forefront, standing right before the young genius, arms crossed over her chest. “I-”

 

 

GoGo slapped him. Again. However, this time was much, much lighter. Basically just brushing her fingers against Hiro's cheek. The acerbic girl then pulled Hiro into a tight hug.

 

 

“Come here, stupid...”

 

 

Kairi's heart warmed up, as she saw the group of young heroes come together and share a big group hug. Even after everything that had happened, their friendship would prevail. Her eyes briefly flickered in Paine's direction, but she did her best to avoid making any eye contact with the dark swordswoman.

 

 

“We're going to stop that guy and save the city,” GoGo told Hiro, as the hug broke apart. “But we're going to do it the right way.” Hiro nodded along to the young woman's words, once more fighting back his emotions.

 

 

“Yeah, yeah... you guys...” Hiro looked around, to GoGo, Wasabi, Fred, Honey Lemon, and Baymax, all in turn. “All of you mean a lot to me. You meant a lot to my brother, too. I'm so sorry I almost threw all of that away.”

 

 

“Sounds like you guys had quite the therapy session, Red.” Rikku chimed in, with a nudge to Kairi's ribs.

 

 

“Um, sort of?” Kairi scratched at her head, once more feeling annoyed by undue praise. “I was just there. Baymax kinda did all the work. I mean, it's what he was built for after all.” Kairi then quietly excused herself, making her way across the room to the third and final Gullwing. She was pretty certain this would be rough, but there was no way to avoid it. Better get it over and done with.

 

 

“Paine, I just -”

 

 

“Save it.” The white-haired woman cut her off in an instant, not even bothering to make eye contact. Her tone was aggressive but not angry. Not entirely. “I don't want to hear you say your sorry. Or to hear you say that you learned from your mistakes. I want you to _show_ me that.” Finally, Paine's eyes shifted to meet with Kairi's. “Understood?”

 

 

“Y-yes...” Kairi had expected to get a response like this, but was still a little put out by Paine's absolute iciness.

 

 

The swordswoman grunted and then moved back to the table, which Kairi could see had a map of downtown San Fransokyo splayed across it. “Now that you three are back, we can begin in earnest.” Paine pointed to a marker on the map's surface. San Fransokyo Radio Tower. “We're trying to come up with a battle plan for dealing with the Stone and the Guardian.”

 

 

“We figured it would be better use of our time doing something productive rather than worrying over you.” Yuna explained, before sighing, looking at the map with disdain. “But, so far, we haven't come up with a solution.”

 

 

“I think I might have an idea, actually...” Kairi spoke up. Immediately, all eyes fell upon her, causing her to shift her shoulders about. It was like oral report day in Literature class all over again...

 

 

“So, what we know about how Guardians work is that they spawn in the presence of the Keyblade.” Kairi summoned Destiny's Embrace for effect. Back on Beast's Castle, she had specifically held her Keyblade back to avoid summoning the Guardian Heartless, and it only did start manifesting when she brought the weapon out. “So, we could rush the tower without me summoning it, but that means I can't fight effectively. And, I'm certain we'd run into dozens of Heartless along the way. Not to mention Luxord is probably still out there, waiting to fight us again...”

 

 

“We came up with this idea, too.” Wasabi brought up. “It's probably the best of the bunch, too.”

 

 

“But, you are right, you'd be largely ineffective without the Keyblade.” Yuna said. As Kairi's magic teacher, she knew better than anyone the girl's magic was far less impressive without Destiny's Embrace out and about. “So it would turn into an escort mission. Getting you up the tower will be difficult, but with so many of us to guard you -”

 

 

“No.” Kairi put a stop to that. She knew where Yuna was going, and didn't like it one bit. “You guys aren't throwing yourself into the line of fire to protect me. I screwed up. I have to make amends to you.” Even if she hadn't been the reason most of the people in this room had a close-encounter with death today, Kairi still would have felt uncomfortable with that strategy. With everyone acting as her shields.

 

 

_Sacrifice... I still don't know whether it's noble or not, but I do know that I don't like it. I don't want anyone else throwing their lives away for me. Not Sora. Not anyone._

 

 

“I'll go after the Stone by myself.”

 

 

Everyone was blindsided by Kairi's sudden declaration, looking both bemused and scared at the reality of the words. Even Paine raised an eyebrow, from her vantage point in the corner of the room.

 

 

“Kairi, you can't!” Yuna said with the utmost concern. “That's basically suicide.” Rikku nodded along with her cousin's statement.

 

 

“Yeah, Red. No shade against ya, but you really think you can make your way through a horde of Heartless and a Nobody, by yourself, without the Keyblade?” A round of murmuring agreement rose up. “Not to mention, how're you gonna climb up the tower? Guilty or not, you can't just rush in and think it'll always work...”

 

 

Kairi chuckled slightly at her friend's reaction. It seems that she had developed a bit of a reputation for charging headlong into danger. Couldn't be helped, she supposed. “No, I know I can't do all that on my own.” She drew a line across a point in the map. The spot she and the Gullwings had confronted the Guardian Heartless earlier in the day. “We'll all go, together, and I'll summon my Keyblade to bait out the Guardian. But then, while you guys have it distracted, I'll go for the Stone. That's the other thing with Blackheart Stones – when they're destroyed, they banish all the lesser Heartless in the area. Without any back-up, the Guardian will be much easier to deal with!”

 

 

Again, a quite chorus picked up among the others, Yuna and Rikku looking quite surprised by the Key Bearer's summation. Clearly, they had forgotten about that little factoid.

 

 

“As for how I'm going to get to the Stone on the top of the tower...” Kairi continued, her gaze drifting towards Baymax, who only blinked in response. “I saw wings on Baymax' armour. He can fly, can't he, Hiro?”

 

 

“Yeah, he can.” The boy answered, as everyone started to pick-up on what Kairi was planning.

 

 

“Then while you guys are busy distracting the Heartless, Baymax and I will fly around the plaza to avoid the fighting and go straight for the Stone.” Kairi traced her finger across the map, showing her desired route to the towering edifice in the middle of the plaza. “Then we'll take care of the Guardian together, and we'll finally rid the city of the Heartless.”

 

 

Kairi paused after her final explanation, taking a sharp breath. This had made sense when she formulated it in her head, but she wasn't entirely certain of the validity of the plan. Not to mention, despite her vehemence against others serving as human shields for herself, there wasn't a whole lot of difference here. More like Yuna and the others were a smokescreen, rather than shields, but her plan hinged on the others stepping up on the battlefield while she skulked around.

 

 

Fortunately, it seemed everyone was receptive to the idea on it's face. Most likely because it was the best plan put forward up to this point. Still, there were some a few concerns on the table.

 

 

“Kairi, are you absolutely sure about this?” Yuna asked her. Of course Yuna would be the first to voice any apprehension. “You don't need to do this just because -”

 

 

“Yes, I do, Yuna.” The Key Bearer wasn't really in the mood for discussing those wounds in depth. Not right now, at least. “I have to do this, and I want to do this. Unless anyone else has a better idea, I think this is our best shot.”

 

 

To Kairi's surprise, Hiro was the only one to speak up.

 

 

“I'm coming with you, Kairi.” The boy genius said. No he was the focus of everyone's worry and interest. “I know Baymax better than anyone – flight especially – and, besides... I can't let anything happen to Baymax. He's too important. To Tadashi. I need to be there.”

 

 

Kairi bit her lip, considering the offer. She would be lying if she said she wasn't afraid of something happening to Hiro in the heat of battle. A lot of things could go wrong with this plan – the least being a sudden reappearance by Luxord – and Hiro definitely didn't seem like much of a fighter. On the other hand, he was more than correct about knowing everything about Baymax. Kairi's technical skills were... less than zero, to be charitable. Not to mention... Baymax was his brother's legacy. She understood why he needed to make sure the health care robot stayed safe.

 

 

After a moment of consideration, Kairi relented, nodding in the direction of the boy.

 

 

“This is all well and good...” All eyes in the room moved towards the speaker, Paine, the dark swordswoman now pacing on the opposite end of the room from where the group was gathered. “But plan or no plan, we're still overlooking one major issue.” Red eyes darted from person to person, Hiro to GoGo to Wasabi to Fred to Honey Lemon. “You kids, your tech is good, but you don't know how to fight worth a damn.” GoGo and the others sheepishly and begrudgingly acknowledged the point. Regardless of the clash with Luxord, their scraps with the Heartless earlier in the afternoon and earlier in the week were embarrassing affairs of amateurish skill. Now that they had a better perspective on what they were fighting, they knew it wouldn't cut it. “So, we're not going to engage in the operation tomorrow. Or even the day after tomorrow. We'll start it up when everyone is good and ready. When _I_ think you're good and ready. Get a good night's sleep, kids, you all have a date in the House of Paine, seven AM sharp.”

 

 

Paine gave the collected geniuses (and Fred) a stern look, before sparing a particularly nasty one to Kairi. “I'm heading back to the ship. Good night.” And then, she stormed off without another word.

 

 

Kairi exhaled, almost collapsing to the floor from the strain of keeping it together. “Well, that went better than expected...” Admittedly, Kairi had been expecting at least one more punch from her companion. It was a low bar to pass.

 

 

Yuna and Rikku quickly assembled around her, the redhead thankful for their support and friendship.

 

 

“So, Kai-Kai, how ya doin'?” Rikku asked, in her own unique way, splitting the difference between playful and unease. “You seem to be full of fire again! That walk musta done ya a world of good, huh?” An elbow nudged the Key Bearer in the ribs. Kairi winced. They were still sore from the encounter. “Oh, sorry...”

 

 

“It's okay,” Kairi hissed out, sucking in air. “And uh... I don't know guys. I don't know how I'm feeling right now. Like, I know I screwed up. I know what I did was wrong. I'm so sorry for abandoning you and putting Sora ahead of everything, but-” Both her brain and her heart were still a jumbled mess. She didn't know where she lay on the idea of her devotion to Sora, and his level of devotion in her, or the concept of sacrifice and whether it was good or not. And the answers to the question she sought were still beyond her reach. Why did she have the Keyblade? What did she want, and what was she fighting for? It all overwhelmed Kairi and brought her to point of exhaustion...

 

 

...But was really eating at the Key Bearer right now was her other actions, from just a few minutes ago. When Hiro was suffering, in the middle of a crisis, in dire need of a hand to pull him out of the mire... she hesitated. She told herself to stay out of it. That because she was struggling with her own problems, that meant she couldn't help someone else. That hesitance, that forfeiture, it made her feel gross. It stood against everything Kairi believed in.

 

 

“...All I know is that I want to help people. And besides, what matters is that Hiro is doing okay.” Over on the other end of the room, Honey Lemon had constricted the much smaller boy in a massive bear hug. Clearly, the lean girl was stronger than she looked, judging from the discoloration in Hiro's face. “So let's forget about my screw ups and Luxord and Paine and everything else and focus on what we have to do in the coming days.”

 

 

Baymax had informed the group of Hiro's critical need for oxygen, Honey Lemon looking utterly mortified at what she had done, everyone else giving some good natured ribbing over the misunderstanding.

 

 

“For what it's worth, I think the reason why Paine is so hard on you is because she cares about you.” Yuna pointed out, despite Kairi's insistence on moving on from that point. “She's basically taken you under her wing in the training room. She clearly believes in what you do.” The Princess grimaced, something that did not escape the brunette's notice. “Though, I do wish she would express it in a more positive way...”

 

 

“Oh! Ooh ooh ooh!” Fred leaped into the air, a looking of feverish excitement on his face as he bounded around. GoGo quickly expressed her displeasure as to wherever this was going. “Wasabi, I'm getting one of those things! Y'know, a headache but with pictures!”

 

 

“Uh... an idea?”

 

 

“Ya huh, ya huh!” Whatever idea had possessed the fanboy must have been a doozy, seeing him buzz about the room, eyeing and observing Kairi, Rikku, and Yuna with critical thought. “This is an big deal for Big Hero 6! It's our first official crossover with another hero group! Two groups of warriors, united from across the stars, to do battle with an evil darkness greater than any single one of them! Classic set-up...”

 

 

“Fred, stop talking as if our lives were comic books.” GoGo groused, before adding, “Or crappy crossover fanfiction.” From the flatness of her tone, it seemed this was something the snarky young woman dealt with often enough.

 

 

“Then I'll talk about our lives as if they were _awesome_ crossover fanfiction!” He countered, earning a facepalm from GoGo. “Look, the point is, we have to present a united front to our foes. And we have to do something to mark this occasion!” Fred then took hold of Hiro's upper arm, forcibly dragging the boy out of the room. “Honey Lemon, Gogo, get the girls' measurements. Hiro and I are gonna fire up the 3-D printer!” Hiro offered some mild protests as he was led away, Fred's excited voice bouncing off the walls. “Oh, I am _so excited_!”

 

 

The whirlwind of joy came and went so fast that it almost all flew over Kairi's head, the poor girl standing still and blinking in wild confusion. “I'm sorry, but what's going on?”

 

 

Sighing, GoGo moved over to Kairi, putting a consoling arm on the redhead's shoulder. “I'm sorry about this. I'm really, really sorry.”

 

  
“W-what? What's happening? What's going on?”

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Riku's eyes opened up, finding himself in a plane of infinite blackness.

 

 

Gone was the dying wasteland and the fearsome Keyblade wielding sentinel, though, he still wasn't without company.

 

 

Before him was a being just as alarming and dangerous as Lingering Will. The dark and fearsome presence of the Heartless known as Ansem. Or, the Seeker of Darkness. Or Xehanort's Heartless. Or whatever new bloody epitaph this being had granted itself this week.

 

 

Riku growled and went to move. To run or fight or something else, he wasn't quite sure. But he felt himself... well, he wasn't quite sure how to describe this sensation. Or lack thereof. He couldn't feel any of his extremities, but he could still move about. Only very slightly, though. Everything felt sluggish and slow; disconnected. As if he were floating in a tank of salt water, but even more languid.

 

 

Wherever he had ended up, the rest of his being and faculties had not joined him for the trip.

 

 

Then, finally focusing on what was in front of him instead of his body, Riku noticed something about Ansem. Not only had he remained largely still – not charging him or anything of the like – but he also wasn't all there. Literally, his body was beginning to collapse and breakdown in the void the two currently inhabited.

 

 

“So, we finally meet again, boy.” Ansem boomed, that smug look of superiority plastered on his face.

 

 

“For the last time, apparently.” Riku returned. Whatever was eating away at the Heartless had almost taken away everything below his waist. Smoking holes pockmarked the chest and arms of the humanoid Heartless, too. “Good riddance. I don't know what you, or one of your other selves, did to that armour, but I suppose this is a form of poetic justice.”

 

 

Ansem sneered. For a being that was having his existence slowly washed away, he seemed awfully calm about it all. “It hardly matters at this point. Even if the last vestige of my darkness is wiped away from the Realm of Light, the will of Xehanort will long outlive me. Xemnas will continue our great work and see our ultimate victory.”

 

 

“'Our great work'?” Now that was a new detail. Nothing Riku had learned in the year he spent with DiZ suggested that Xemnas had been working with his Heartless self. “You and Xemnas are working together?”

 

 

“Xemnas. Myself. All of our selves from across time and space, all working together for one ultimate goal.” Ansem began to dramatically gesture with his arms, as he was want to do, but the effect was undercut as his left arm was beginning to wisp away into the abyss.

 

 

“And why are you bother telling me all this?” Ansem had been nothing but needlessly cryptic in the past. It was both refreshing and weird to see the humanoid Heartless be so direct.

 

 

Riku's question elicited a dark chuckle from his nemesis. “Because it's all meaningless! All of your actions – in the past, in the future, in the now – it's all futile. We have witnessed the future, the final destiny of this Realm, and it all ends in our victory.” Ansem's eyes narrowed, as he shot his foe a baleful and hateful gaze. “I may vanish here, but for you and your friends, all you have is death and disaster in your futures. _That_ is the truth glimpsed by the one you know as Apprentice Xehanort; the truth he shared with all of us. That is the final fate of everything.”

 

 

“'Fate'? 'Destiny'?” Riku repeated, wishing he had a body and face to show his utter disdain towards the Heartless. “Regardless of whatever nonsense you say, I'll still fight. Sora and Kairi will fight. We won't give in to your cynical garbage.”

 

 

“Fight from it, run from it, destiny comes for us all the same.” Ansem offered a ghoulish cackle, as he degraded to little more than a head and a torso. “All that was witnessed on the day the apprentice cast his heart beyond light and dark, through time and space, and shared the truth with us, has come to pass. The death of the old master and the fate of the lost Bearers; you and that idiot boy receiving Keyblades and coming to blows! The rise of the Organization! My demise! Roxas! Namine! Sora's senseless sacrifices! All of it was foreseen, and all of it came to pass without fail!

 

 

“There is nothing more comforting than knowing, as I die, these words will clutch on to your heart and stay with you, up until the moment of your inevitable doom.”

 

 

Riku had to fight his hardest to restrain his laughter. Threatening as Ansem's words may be, they lacked any bite. They were as hollow as his body in the current moment. Riku's life this past year-and-a-half had been nothing more than one long, endless nightmare. Chaos and pain and misery. And this clown was trying to tell him that there was some sort of grand cosmic plan? That some sort of invisible and all-powerful force such as destiny controlled the course of history?

 

 

No. There was no destiny. No fate. No god. There was nothing but the people of the Realm, and their choices, and their actions. That's all there was. That's the insight Riku had obtained, wandering through a hell of his own making.

 

 

Riku turned away, as the emptiness consumed more and more of the once fearsome Seeker of Darkness. Only his head remained, and even then, not for much longer.

 

 

“I'm done with your Ansem. I've long been done with you.” Off in the distance, two beacons of light cast their way into the void. “I bested you time and time again, and have conquered my fears and doubts. Made the darkness my own.” There was a boy, sunny and bright, and a girl, radiant and strong. They were waiting for him. “And I don't give a damn what you saw or believe in, I'm going back. I'll go to war with the Organization, tear apart their machinations with my own bare hands, and see Xemnas dead. I will purge the Realm of Light of every last trace of Xehanort, and find the peace I have been fighting for for so long.”

 

 

The light cast by the boy and the girl grew ever brighter, the shadows growing ever deeper in response. Riku felt his body become more and more whole.

 

 

The deepest abyss contained the most radiant stars. As did the brightest of lights cast the darkest shadows.

 

 

_Sora. Kairi. Let me be the shadow to your light. Let me find a way to fix what went wrong. Somehow. Someway. Some day._

 

 

Riku moved towards that shining light.

 

 

“Go to hell, Ansem.”

 

 

As the last remnants of the Heartless known as Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, vanished from the world of the living, he delivered one last curse. One last mocking threat with his dying breath.

 

 

“I'll be waiting for you there, Riku.”

 

 

Riku woke up, eyes snapping open, gasping for breath.

 

 

He quickly regretted that course of action, nearly choking on the dry, dusty air of the badlands.

 

 

_Okay... so I'm not dead, yet. Looks like I found myself back here..._

 

 

In his wild thrashings, Riku caught sight of a certain suit of armour, fading sunlight gleaming off the coppery body. Quickly, his focus returned in a panicked start, Riku began to scramble away from Lingering Will, taking up a makeshift fighting stance from his sitting position. But, to his surprise, the sentient armour did not budge. In fact, it was now back in the position he originally found it in: kneeling against the crumbling ground, holding it's Keyblade in it's hands, the blade staked in the earth before it.

 

 

Even more odd, both Riku and Lingering Will somehow had relocated to the risen plateau this all started from.

 

 

_What in the world happened...? Was that all a dream? Has time reset?_ Curiously, his palm raced out to touch his chest. Touch the spot Lingering Will had gored him with it's claymore of a Keyblade.

 

 

A dull, throbbing ache echoed across his body, Riku feeling a half-healed scar through the tattered remains of his cloak.

 

 

“Well, just one more to add to the -”

 

 

Riku stopped.

 

 

He had just spoken.

 

 

With his voice.

 

 

Not the booming, dominant tones of Ansem – his. Voice.

 

 

He blinked. With his eyes. Bright aquamarine, strong and steely.

 

 

His skin was no longer a deep bronze, but a tone that was oddly pale for someone who lived on a tropical island.

 

 

His hair, gleaming silvery white instead of pure white, shock and lifeless.

 

 

Riku's body had... changed. He was always strong and athletic, but now he had filled out and bulked out even more. Grown taller, too.

 

 

_Clearly, I hit a growth spurt somewhere during this last year..._

 

 

But, regardless of the changes, Riku was Riku. He was himself again. The poison in his veins. The demon lying within his heart. The cancer choking the life from his body...

 

 

It was gone. All gone. Ansem was gone.

 

 

Riku Akiyama, chosen of the Keyblade, was back.

 

 

He stood up, legs shaky both from the strain of the battle and the shock of just what had occurred. He marveled at his new, old body, feeling numb and oddly restrained. The full realization hadn't hit him yet. What he had accomplished. For the longest time, Riku had convinced himself that the last shard of Ansem would kill him. That using it spelled his doom. Or, at the very least, meant he had forfeited any chance at having a normal life.

 

 

He thought that would be his penance for stealing Roxas away. For how he treated Sora and Kairi.

 

 

But now...

 

 

The glinting armour caught his eye again, Riku turning to face the inert Lingering Will. Still and lifeless. The anger was still strong within itself, but it had no reason to be animated by it. The source of it's hatred was gone.

 

 

“It looks like, even after a decade's time, you're still helping me out.” Riku lowered his head, solemnly, as a reminder that not everyone was as fortunate as himself. That others had lost everything due to the wickedness of Xehanort. “Thank you, Terra.”

 

 

Flexing his arms, Riku called to something within him. A slumbering power long neglected. Terra's will. Terra's legacy.

 

 

In a pulse of glorious darkness, Riku summoned his Keyblade. The new weapon shared a startling resemblance to Soul Eater; the blade, bejeweled eye, and hilts of both weapons being perfectly identical. But this Keyblade possessed a full, circular guard, with a red and black heart keychain descending from the pommel, and an angelic white wing forming the teeth. Where the fell weapon Riku once wielded lay dying in the dust, left to corrode away with the other discarded weapons, his Keyblade brimmed with the essence of his heart. An iron will and unbreakable resolve.

 

 

Way to Dawn, was it's name. A perfect name befitting this great weapon.

 

 

It had taken much effort and pain, but Riku had found his path once again.

 

 

“I don't know what happened here,” Riku turned away from the armour, conjuring a Dark Corridor to escape this dead world. To return to the fight. “But I promise you, when this is all over, I will find some way to make this right.”

 

 

Another burst of power exploded from the Key Bearer, dark shadows gathering on his being and forming a jagged and awe-inspiring suit of armour for the darkness user. The tatters that once was his black gloat gently formed around the metallic mass, dark metal standing in contrast to the burnished copper of Lingering Will.

 

 

“But, until that time, I have my own business to attend to. I have an Organization to crush, and a destiny to defy.”

 

 

Riku marched towards his Corridor, one thought on his mind as he did so.

 

 

_Sora. Kairi. Wait for me just a little longer. Your shadow will come back to you. The darkness is always drawn to the light, no matter what._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so Riku has crossed paths with Terra, learned several truths of himself, the past, and the world, and now carries the inherited will of his forebearer. Through his own actions, his destiny and the destiny of the world around him has changed for the better. And, expressively, this is Riku as a heroic darkness-user. Not “I have one or two unique attacks that use darkness but otherwise behave like the other Key Bearers”. All darkness, but as goodhearted and noble as ever.
> 
>  
> 
> While this is thoroughly a Kairi story, and she is the protagonist first and foremost, Riku has ended up in the deuteragonist role due to my dislike of his arc in II. Of all the characters, he probably undergoes the most development and has the most divergent path compared to canon, next to our beloved redhead, of course. However, one thing I definitely kept (if gave him a bit earlier) was Riku's OG Keyblade, Way to Dawn. When I think of a character specific Keyblade, one that defines a character and their arc with just the visuals of the blade, I think of Way to Dawn and Riku. It's just perfect!
> 
>  
> 
> Which is why I am baffled by him discarding Way to Dawn for Braveheart in III. I get merchandise and all that, but abandoning Way to Dawn – something that perfectly encapsulates Riku's growth and development through the franchise – for something as plain and generic for Braveheart can be called nothing less than a mistake. That's not to knock Braveheart's design, it's fine, but it's... so basic. It's a tumbler lock key. It's Fenrir without the bandages. It's a weapon anyone could use, something that means nothing and symbolizes less, well, except for Riku's lack of an arc or purpose and the further homogenization of his personality. Trading Way to Dawn for Braveheart might be a very minor mistake in the grand scheme of things, but I think it perfectly defines everything wrong with that game.
> 
>  
> 
> Now, I will be talking about this in more details later on, but for now, the concept of Xemnas having witnessed the future and working with his other selves for some goal, and his ironclad belief in destiny... that was not included in the original plan of this story. This was included as a response to what I find is the increasingly morally objectionable ethos of Kingdom Hearts, which was on display fully in III. The ethos that “destiny is absolute and there is no fighting it and you should just except it regardless of what that destiny is”. I find that kind of thinking to be grossly offensive and am beyond dismayed that heroic characters I like and cherish subscribe to it, in addition to the villains subscribing to it. It's just a complete mess and a fact that I think needs to be addressed. In addition to recontextualizing the black and white, absolutist “light versus dark” conflict, I want to possession the heroes as fighting for free will and self-determination while the villains are fatalists who believe in absolute, tyrannical fate beyond our control.
> 
>  
> 
> As for Luxord's divination – beyond trying to do anything with him to make him seem just slightly more interesting – all the cards featured do represent characters or events in this story. But, like the egomaniac he is, Luxord's reading is highly faulty. He certainly made one or two mistakes. I'll be interested to see if anyone can figure out who (properly) corresponds to which tarot arcana.
> 
>  
> 
> Also, major props to everyone writer in the KH fan community who write longfics and do tonnes of straight adaption of scenes from the Disney movies – I did an adaptation of one fairly short scene and wanted to jam an iron spike into my head by the end of it, it was so tedious. Mad respect all around to you guys, I could not do what you do.
> 
>  
> 
> That will be all for now. Remember to drop a review or comment if you have the time; your kind words and questions nourish my soul and keep me going. We'll finish up the San Fransokyo arc next time around, talk a bit more about Kairi and her development, all that good stuff, but, until then... I'm gonna take a quick sojourn to the Galar Region and hunt some Pokemon – Water Starter Forever! Sobble Squad represent!
> 
>  
> 
> Until next time, let the light guide you on your path forward.


	17. Tower Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One note before we begin today. Because I am a dork who loves his Toku shows and loves their inset songs, we have some fight music picked out for our big climactic fight scene this chapter.
> 
>  
> 
> It's the English cover of “Round Zero ~ Blade Brave” by yourfavoritejune on Youtube. Give it a listen if you're partial to that sort of stuff, then give it a listen regardless because it's an excellent cover!
> 
>  
> 
> And now, onto the show!

**  
She Will Light The Way  
Chapter Seventeen  
Tower Fall**   
  


 

Kairi adjusted her helmet for what must have been the tenth time since she and everyone else set out to the San Fransokyo Radio Tower. For their battle over the Blackheart Stone.

 

 

Four days had passed since that horrible first night in the city, longer than Kairi would have ever thought she would spend on the world. Those four days had been a whirlwind of training and exercise, as Paine worked each and every one of them to the bone. Seven AM sharp, everyday, as she declared after first, eight to ten hours spread throughout the day. Kairi had gotten use to the rigour of training with Paine on the Gummi Ship, but this pace was ludicrously breakneck. Paine worked six of them to the bone, and while some managed better than others – Kairi acquitted herself well enough, and both GoGo and Wasabi proved that their physiques weren't just for show – but for others... it was a rough go of things, to be charitable.

 

 

After the first day – after the first couple hours, even – Kairi thought Hiro, Honey Lemon, and Fred we're going to just go poof. Wither away into nothing, like dust in the wind. And it wasn't even anything that strenuous! Just long-distance running and other condition training (the gigantic size of the mansion grounds served them well in that case). And, even beyond the other's struggles, Kairi was certain Paine was taking her to task, extra hard. Full-on drill sergeant mode for all four days of training. Where everyone had to run three miles, she had to do five. When she tasked the others with thirty suicides, Kairi had to do fifty-five. And while Paine was always sparing with her compliments and praise, she was now even more terse, more short. Hell, while she was as talkative as ever with Yuna and Rikku, and offered a fair amount of feedback and assistance to the members of Big Hero, Kairi couldn't remember sharing more than a dozen words with the white-haired woman during these past couple of days.

 

 

_It's okay. I deserve it._ Kairi would tell herself whenever she was met with Paine's frosty reception. She had betrayed her friends trust, she needed to earn it back. _Just focus on the mission, Kai. Destroy the Stone, stop the Heartless. Keep moving forward. That's all that you can do right now..._

 

 

Still, struggles or not, Kairi and the others pulled through the difficulties, offering each other help when they needed it most. Yuna and Rikku stepped in to teach the fledgling superheroes any specifics skill they might need, proving a much needed light touch compared to Paine's brutal drilling. And it certainly didn't hurt that Baymax was on hand to provide heated massages whenever necessary. After that first day of training, resting her sore body against the warm and gently humming plush figure of the robot... it just might have been the most heavenly thing Kairi had ever experienced. Like spooning with a giant, toasty marshmallow.

 

 

Kairi adjusted her helmet for the eleventh time, lips curling in frustration.

 

 

Of course, the training wasn't the only event that had happened in the past few days....

 

 

“Look, if we're gonna team-up, if we're gonna crossover, then we gotta present a united front!” Fred cheerily explained while typing furiously – hunting and pecking – at a computer console. Kairi and the Gullwings stared cryptically at the screen: blueprints of suits of armour not unlike the gear the members of Big Hero wore.

 

 

GoGo groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose as she did. “Please stop using 'crossover' like it's an ordinary, everyday thing. For the last time, our lives are not comic books!”

 

 

“Freddie does have a point, though.” Said Honey Lemon. She then motioned to Kairi and the Gullwings. “If we're going into battle, it might pay for you girls to have some actual protection.” Then, with a nervous and vibrant smile, the tall chemist added, “Also, me and Hiro worked really hard on the designs. I'm particularly proud of that one.” Honey Lemon squeed and pointed to a suit that had cat ears sculpted into the helmet.

 

 

“Okay, I get it, and I know you guys don't believe in magic or whatever,” Kairi returned, before stepping forward and doing a quick spin around, showcasing her battle outfit to the group, “But our clothes are literal magic. Magic sewn into them. Or they're made of magic. I don't really know, magic's a new thing for me too.” Clarke's Third Law aside, Kairi was more confident in the protection her outfit provided than whatever carbon armour plating Hiro and the other printed out. It had served her well up until this point, after all.

 

 

“Shush, Red!” Rikku snapped, pushing her way through the throng to the front of the line, eyes glued to the computer screens. “You're passing up a golden opportunity, and I can't let that stand!” The hyperactive blonde then pointed at one of the blue prints. “I'd like that one, and I'd like it in dark orange, please!”

 

 

Fred nodded at the request, ready to go to work... only to stare at the keyboard, blankly, unable to operate the printer itself. He silently asked Hiro for assistance, the young boy scooting onto the console and firing up the machine.

 

 

“I guess there's no avoiding this, is there?” Kairi asked, rhetorically, with a reluctant sigh. She knew how Rikku was when she latched onto an idea. Unstoppable. A blistering blonde ball of bombastic bustle and brilliance. “Fine. Make mine pink, I guess.” Rikku cleared her throat, raising an eyebrow towards the Princess. “What?”

 

 

“Yo, you can't be pink, Kai.”

 

 

Kairi shook her head in disbelief. What now? “And why not?”

 

 

“Uh, 'cause Honey Lemon is pink.” Kairi gaped at her companion. How was that relevant? “Even if it's for one day, we're a superhero team! We can't double down on colours! That's just not right.”

 

 

“Seriously?”

 

 

“Seriously!” Rikku looked as if she was debating the most critical matter in her entire life. “Come on! _The Avengers_ , _The_ _Defenders_ , _X-Men_ , _Justice_ _League_ , _Teen_ _Titans_ , _Exceed_ _Force_ -”

 

 

“Ooh! I love _Exceed Force_!” Fred jumped in. “Quick, quick, give me your top three season!”

 

 

Paine and GoGo clutched their foreheads in annoyance, while Kairi stared blankly over the ensuing conversation of pure fan energy.

 

 

“Oh, uh... _Phoenix Force Featherman Double R_... _Astro Force Starliege_... and uh, hmm... oh! Gotta be _Draco Knight Sabre Force!_ ”

 

 

“Good picks! We need to exchange social media accounts.”

 

 

“OH! Do you wanna do a podcast!?”

 

 

“ _Absolutely!_ ”

 

 

The worst part about all this was, Kairi knew exactly what the two chatterboxes were talking about. Sora loved _Exceed Force_. And _Arma Kaiser_. Anything and everything involving superheroes. Riku did too, when he was younger. Then he turned twelve and declared all of that stuff “kiddy”. But Sora never gave up his childhood passions. He was always open and earnest about the things he loved, shameless. He was free, unconcerned with the opinion of others. Kairi always admired that part of him.

 

 

“Okay, okay, okay...” Kairi cut through the clamour, before Rikku and Fred's conversation steamrolled into something ridiculous. More ridiculous. “Okay, well, if I can't pick pink then I'll...” She was about to go to her back-ups, red or purple, only to realize that Baymax and Hiro had those colours locked up. “Do we really have to do this?”

 

 

“Uh... don't shoot me or anything, but I _kinda_ agree with Fred and Rikku.” Hiro said, nervously. “Every team worth their salt has some variation between their suits. It wouldn't be the worse thing in the world, would it?”

 

 

Kairi's face fell flat, as she finally relented, picking a style and colour, grumbling about it the entire way through.

 

 

And, so Kairi found herself, on the chilly, fog-choked streets of San Fransokyo, feeling a little ridiculous in her suit of carbon fibre armour. She looked down the line of her companions and teammates, feeling a little better that she wasn't alone.

 

 

Kairi's armour was pearlescent white, polished to a bright sheen, with the plates covering almost every part of her black undersuit. They weren't that thick in comparison to some of the others, but she was certain they would get the job done. The one thing she enjoyed about the design was the fact that, with the rounded pauldrons, the strips of plate forming a skirt around her waist, and the slide-down visor currently colouring her perspective of the world a bright pink, she kind of felt like a knight. An ultra-modern version of a knight, but a knight nonetheless. As a girl who grew up on stories of knights rescuing princesses, it was kind of a nice feeling.

 

 

Her three companions were similarly geared out, Yuna in a pale, periwinkle blue, Rikku in her desired dark orange, and Paine in jet black. The two cousins wore similar styles of armour; much like GoGo's, it was fairly light, mostly covering the torso while leaving their arms and legs bare and unrestrained. Yuna's visor was just a headpiece that kept her head bare, while Rikku had specifically torn out her faceplate and substituted her goggled in it's stead. Paine, befitting her rough and tumble style, had the heaviest duty armour, covering every last inch of her, save the portions of her face that the lower half of her helmet revealed. With the gleaming black plate and dark red visor, Paine made the perfect dark counterpart to Kairi's shining white knight.

 

 

Kairi adjusted her helmet for the twelfth time, her nerves showing. They had arrived just outside Radio Tower Plaza. Beyond the ring of buildings, and the impenetrable blanket of fog, lie both the Blackheart Stone and it's Guardian.

 

 

During their journey through the city, the group had only sparingly encountered any Heartless, and Luxord was nowhere to be seen. The absences were far more disconcerting than comforting.

 

 

“Alright. Everyone ready?” Kairi asked, trying to force herself to sound controlled and authoritative. There was a lot that could go wrong with this operation, she just had to hope all their training would give them the edge.

 

 

For their part, despite being regular college students up until a little while ago, Hiro and the others put on their game faces, looking as resolute and determined as they came. GoGo, and Fred were crouched low to the ground, ready to spring to action. Honey Lemon had a handful of her colourful chem-orbs. Wasabi fired up his plasma blades. And Hiro had clambered onto Baymax' back, the magnetic locks in his gauntlets setting him in place.

 

 

“We're ready when you are Kairi.” Yuna returned, shotstaff out and cocked. “Just give us the signal and we'll get this mission started.”

 

 

“Right...” She was the linchpin in all of this. Only one way to get the attention of the imposing, towering Guardian that protected the Stone, and it all fell on Kairi.

 

 

_I just hope we're not making a huge mistake here..._

 

 

Destiny's Embrace came to light in her hands, the ten of them beginning their slow advance into the plaza.

 

 

It was probably only about five or so minutes before all hell broke loose, but for Kairi, time crawled at a torturous rate, as her and her party slowly – ever-so slowly – made their way through the city streets to their target. Tentative footsteps, all at a deliberate pace, no one wanted to rush ahead and be assailed by the Heartless. Kairi shut her eyes, the redhead forcing herself to breath at a steady, even pace, even as her heart thumped like a jackhammer. This was no time to panic.

 

 

_Just remember... you have to do this. Not just to make it up to Yuna and Rikku and Paine. Not just to make it up for yourself._ Kairi told herself, eyes darting to and fro, looking for any sign of activity beneath the grey shroud. _But for Hiro and the others. They're counting on you. Every person in this city is counting on you. To save them and restore their way of life to normal._

 

 

She wasn't quite sure why, given how monumental a job that was, but reminding herself of the pressure and the stakes made Kairi's nervous heart settle, if even just a little bit.

 

 

The group of ten made it maybe a hundred feet before the first shadows flitted against the screen of fog. Everyone was paused, when those dark blobs first appeared, growing closer, growing more distinct, before several of the lion-dog Heartless leaped out, ready to attack. The shadowy beings were met with a barrage of magic from Kairi and Yuna, as well as GoGo hurling her shields. Fire, ice, and sawing discuses tore the Heartless to shreds, securing the first victory for the day.

 

 

“Hold your ground, everyone!” Kairi ordered, taking on a fighting stance, body brimming with nervous energy. “It's coming. It'll come for us. Just wait.”

 

 

More Heartless launched themselves from beyond the fog, easily being cut down by the assembled heroes, but Kairi's words soon proved prescient. Just as before, the earth shook with a terrifying clamour, a rumbling so fierce it felt like the sky itself was being split open. Everyone braced themselves against the repeated, thundering blows of the heavy footfalls making their impact against the concrete streets, a moving earthquake generated by those spindly, crab legs.

 

 

And then, blaring blackly against the screen, came the figure of the Ushi-Oni Heartless. Malevolent and sinister yellow eyes breaking through the fog like the flames of the damned, Kairi feeling those same flames locked right on to her. All of the hatred and twisted darkness of the Heartless focused on snuffing her out.

 

 

“Okay, now it's our time to shine!” Rikku suddenly declared, a little too cheerfully, especially considering the ominous shadow looming over everyone. “Get the lead out, Honey Lemon!” Pulling out another device from her seemingly infinite and endless utility pouches, Rikku went to work, unfurling what once looked like a hockey puck into a cylindrical tube, mounted on a bracket so that it stood at a forty-five degree angle. Everyone was baffled by whatever had gotten into the chipper blonde.

 

 

“What on earth on you guys doing?” Kairi questioned, as Honey Lemon crouched next to Rikku, both animated young woman shoving the colourful chem-orbs into the tube.

 

 

“Well there's no way you thought good ol' Rikku would leave you fighting in zero visibility, did you?”

 

 

Honey Lemon, thankfully, offered a more complete solution. “We had to do something to dispel the fog – it puts us at too much of a disadvantage. So, I did a little meteorological research during some down time and came up with a solution: light, heat, and turbulence!” The tall chemist gave a giddy grin at her revelation. “It was honestly quite fun learning a new scientific discipline.”

 

 

“And seeing as you all are so lucky as to have two incredibly intelligent and beautiful chemical engineers on your side, we got y'all covered!” Rikku crowed cockily, having stuffed the tube to the absolute brim, before putting her hands on what looked like... a trigger. A trigger.

 

  
A trigger.

 

 

Oh no.

 

 

“Now cover your ears! Fire in the hole!”

 

 

The group barely had enough time to do as commanded, Rikku wildly slamming away at the trigger, firing shots into the air, while twisting her mortar wildly, spreading the payload as much as possible. The now explosive chem-orbs sailed through the air, arcing high until they vanished from sight behind the fog bank. Soon after, a series of dampened booms echoed through the area, the chemical bombs detonating and going to work, as their remnants slowly but surely became more visible within the slate grey slate.

 

 

Some of the bombs were like fireworks; showers of bright sparks cascading in every direction, the flames seemingly eating at the fog. Others turned into great, roaring spirals of heat and pressure, literally moving so fast they forced the fog to move aside. And still others became bright, incandescent stars that hung in the air; blazing, radiant lights that sizzled and smoke as the droplets of water that made up the fog slowly evaporated.

 

 

Pockets of visibility began to form in the wake of the mortar fire, and, before long, there was hundreds of feet of clarity in all directions. City streets and skies opened around the collective heroes, as the gigantic Guardian Heartless finally came into view. In reality, the Ushi-Oni was far less big than it originally seemed the other day – not smaller, just less big, as it still towered nearly a hundred-feet tall. It's lower half was indeed very crab-like; broad and chitinous, with six spindly legs, all covered in a spiny, ruddy-red shell, while the upper body was more humanoid – dark blue skin mostly covered by rusty samurai armour – with two great ox horns crown the head of the monstrosity.

 

 

The sudden wave of heat and light caused the shogun of a Heartless to shy away, taking short, rumbling steps backwards, as Rikku continued to crow and holler.

 

 

“How d'ya like that? Yeah! Science, bitch!”

 

 

_More than a little magic, too, I bet._ Kairi commented, mentally. She was fairly certain that a few fireworks and bombs wouldn't normally do this to fog cover, but she was thankful it was gone all the same. The pocket that they all stood in had spread to the point that she could almost see the base of the tower off in the distance – faint bits of bright orange coming in and out of view behind the shroud.

 

 

Ushi-Oni raised it's titanic sword into the air, ushering an army of Heartless to it's side.

 

 

“Not bad, you two.” Paine pronounced, while shouldering her broadsword. High praise, coming from the terse warrior. “Now, let's get this operation started.” The hordes of lesser Heartless were already incoming, Paine leading the counter-charge in response.

 

 

“You sure about this, Kairi?” Yuna asked the redhead, as the two of them and Rikku huddled together for a moment.. The Key Bearer and the two cousins were the only ones who hadn't joined the scrum, as of yet. “There's still time to change the plan. You don't need to put yourself in such a vulnerable spot.”

 

 

“Yuna, for the last time, no. This is the plan.” Kairi retorted, forcefully. Wincing, she verbally backspaced and tried to soften her tone. “Look, I appreciate your concern, but... you're wrong, Yuna. I have to do this. Not just because I need to make things right, but because I'm the only one who can.” She looked down at her Keyblade, darkly and sullenly, considering the mythical weapon for a moment.

 

 

Over the four days, Yuna had spent so much time trying to come up with an alternate plan, or to get Kairi to reconsider this course of action, but the de facto leader of the Gullwings would not hear of it. She would not put anymore lives at risk over herself, whether through her leadership or her negligence. And, quite literally, she was the only one capable of destroying the Stone – of accomplishing their goal and alleviating some of the pressure of the situation.

 

 

Not to mention, if there was one thing the Princess had realized during her adventures, it was that she would get nowhere by just thinking about her problems. Before – on Twilight Town and Olympus – whenever doubt entered her heart and mind, going to action helped her work through her troubles and come to an answer that would settle her ailing heart.

 

 

_Third time's the charm, right?_

 

 

“Well, that's all fine and dandy, Red, but we're still not letting you go without some support.” Rikku commented, now that her cousin was appeased, or had at least relented from her objections. The blonde offered Kairi another one of her grapple wires. “Three hundred plus meters is pretty high up, so a little back-up policy will do you some good.” Kairi wordlessly took the device, followed by Rikku sticking a censuring finger in her face. “And don't lose this one like you did on Twilight Town! I'm already down two of these things, and they aren't easy to replace. What? D'ya think I just pull all my gadgets out of thin air?”

 

 

“Well, yeah.” Kairi replied, incredulously, before stashing the grapple on her suit's belt. “You have bombs and sensors and drones and mortars... you just seem to pull whatever you need out of those pouches.”

 

 

“Well, I still have to make them, and I'm running low on supplies. And even if I weren't, those things are the most material specific!”

 

 

“Okay, okay, I get it Rikku. I'll...” Kairi paused, taking a breath. “I'll take care of myself. Thanks, guys.” She really was lucky to have the Gullwings as her companions, watching her back, keeping her safe.

 

 

She was really lucky to have them as her friends.

 

 

With all the words of support given out, the three stragglers made their move to join the ongoing battle. Kairi held herself back intentionally, as Yuna and Rikku entered the thick of it, seeing as how the plan relied entirely on misdirection and obfuscation. Of course, despite all the subterfuge, Kairi wouldn't allow herself to not participate, staying back on the fringes of the action and slinging spells at the masses of shadows coming to consume her and her friends. And, an advantage of being removed from a chaotic melee was that Kairi had the opportunity to observe everything unfolding around her.

 

 

Clearly those four days of intensive training had done a world of good for the members of Big Hero 6, as they waged war against the demons that had destroyed their city, striking fast and furious and working as a well-oiled machine. Baymax (with Hiro still mounted atop the back of the big, red robot) was the next furthest back from the fighting, but was also able to safely wade his way through the hordes with impunity – as he had no heart for the Heartless to covet or target – and his superhuman strength allowed him to obliterate Heartless left and right with ease. Near the front of the pack was Fred, jumping high into the air with daredevil care, spewing out a stream of flames at the apex of each jump, the fire washing over the oncoming Heartless and doing severe damage, roasting and scorching the fiends at every turn. Without any of his friends in the line of fire, Fred could attack freely, and each blast eliminated a slew of the shadows, and those that remained were haggard and damaged, easy pickings for the others down the line.

 

 

The speedy ninja Heartless were the first to blitz through, knives out and running low to the ground, clearly intending to overwhelm their foes with blistering speed. But, it turns out speed was only a boon when you had enough room to use it. The way between the Heartless and their victims was constantly barred by a barrage of chem-orbs, Honey Lemon chucking them with care and precision, causing chunks of ice and spheres of sticky or bouncy gel to spawn all around the darting ninja. Each obstacle gave the Heartless pause, forcing them to slow down, turn sharply, do anything to avoid crashing into ice, being snagged in the sticky substance, or being reflected away by the springy slime. And without their extreme velocity, they were easy pickings for the the queen of speed; GoGo zoomed in-between the gaps formed by Honey's attacks, weaving her way through alleys and causeways and blindsiding the hapless Heartless, cutting them down with a single stroke from her discus blades.

 

 

Elsewhere, Wasabi matched up with a group of the _kanabo_ -wielding samurai Heartless, size and power meeting size and power. While Wasabi still seemed as anxious as always, he measured and controlled his fear, refusing to lose ground as the demonic samurai advanced. One swung it's club, only to be stopped mid-swing, as Wasabi brought up an energy blade to block, the shimmering green blade biting deeply into the iron club and barring the way, less the weapon be fully destroyed. With the Heartless stalled, Wasabi made a nervous thrust towards the chest of the monster, grateful to find his other blade easily skewering through the shadow and destroying it in an instant! A small smile began to form on the face of the black man, as he crossed blades and went on the offensive, decisively chopping his foes down to size with powerful and confident strikes.

 

 

_Way to go, guys!_ Kairi cheered on silently. She couldn't help but feel proud of the improvements the five San Fransokyo natives had shown. She had been in a similar situation after all, and knew the feeling that arose when training yielded results. _It helps that they have the right motivation. They're fighting for their city. And Hiro and Tadashi, too. Their hearts are in this, and connected by a common cause. That's something the Organization can't understand – when people share a strong bond between their hearts, there's no way they will fall in the face of adversity._

 

 

Looming over all else, however, was the colossal Ushi-Oni Heartless, make it's ungainly and plodding headway towards the battlefield, slowly raising it's sword over it's head as it did so.

 

 

From her position at the back of the scrum, Kairi could see the motions and knew what was coming. Her eyes went wide and she called out over the din of battle, straining her voice to be as loud as possible.

 

 

“Watch out! It's coming! Get ready!”

 

 

Training wasn't all the group of ten had done in the intervening time; they had also taken the reprieve to go over whatever strategies they could come up with. It wasn't easy given the limited intel they had on their enemy, nor were the plans a hundred percent certain to work, but Kairi was sure everyone felt better off knowing they had a strategy in place, as opposed to just charging in and winging it.

 

 

However, the one thing Kairi and the Gullwings were certain they needed a counter for was the Guardian Heartless and it's greatsword. The reach that weapon provided was frightening, even if it's wielder swung it in a slow and clumsy manner. Not to mention, the sword was dangerous even if it didn't directly strike someone – Kairi recalled being swept up in the mighty shockwave created when the blade struck the earth. Even if every other part of the plan went off without a hitch, Kairi knew those she left on the ground would be helpless and vulnerable to the Guardian.

 

 

They needed to execute this, absolutely perfectly.

 

 

As the blade began it's perilous descent, Paine stood in the center of the fray, barking out orders, everyone moving in sync. Once more, all their preparation was paying off.

 

 

Paine herself, along with Hiro, Baymax, Wasabi, and GoGo went to work wrangling up the remaining lesser Heartless, to ensure as little interference as possible, while both Rikku and Honey Lemon were making a beeline towards one of the gel spheres the tall girl had plopped down onto the battlefield. Fred continued leaping into the air, blasting his fire breath, but this time with much greater focus, as his flames licked along the Ushi-Oni's greatsword. Kairi and Yuna followed suit, standing their ground and peppering the weapon with Fira and Firaga spells, the dark metal of the sword soon changing to a bright, ruddy red, as it smoked and sizzled in the foggy air.

 

 

Still, the efforts of the three proved fruitless, as the sword crashed into the earth, unabated by the barrage of flames. Heat, darkness, and sheer concussive force spread outwards, as the earth tore asunder, the wave roaring across the asphalt streets and sweeping everything aside. Even Kairi, furthest back of the group, was knocked down and battered by the assault, while Yuna, Hiro, and everyone else were cast aside by the rumbling storm. Even the remaining Heartless were helpless in the face of such an attack, the great Guardian showing no care for it's minions. Everyone was down...

 

 

...Except, however, Rikku and Honey Lemon, the two energetic blondes having used the bouncy ball of gel as a boost to launch themselves into the air, sailing high above the shockwave. Completely clear of the buffeting force, and with the burning glow of the sword as their guiding light, the girls began to pelt the super-sized sword with more bombs of the same style, Rikku's silver-studded ice bombs and Honey Lemon chucking chem-orbs of instant ice. Despite the intense heat radiating from the weapon, the ice came on fast and thick, forming faster than it could melt, frigid crystals crawling their way up the majority of the blade, while also spreading across the ruined ground, firmly sticking the sword in place.

 

 

Mindlessly, the Heartless gave it it's all to remove it's blade from the ground, tugging at it with it's gargantuan strength, not aware of the ice holding the weapon prisoner, nor of the cracks spreading along the blade's surface.

 

 

“Get up!” Paine roared to everyone, as she struggled to get to her own feet. “This could be our only shot – get up!” From a half-standing position, loosely gripping her own sword, Paine staggered along the twisted, broken path, golden opportunity right in sight.

 

 

Thankfully, the others heeded the call of the dark-clad swordsman, managing to make it to an upright position and then scramble into place, all making a mad dash towards the frozen sword of the Ushi-Oni.

 

 

“Baymax, rocket punch!”

 

 

The health care robot struck first. At the cry of Hiro's voice, Baymax held up one of his gauntlets, panels opening up along the smooth, red surface, as small thruster jets began to kick up. Flaming exhaust burned from the vents, before the entire chest-sized gauntlet detached from Baymax' armour, rocketing through the air and towards the frozen blade. The flying fist smashed into the flat of the blade, causing even more cracks to spread through the ice and the surface beneath it. Fred followed this up from the other side, impacting into the weapon with a flying sidekick.

 

 

By this point, Paine had broken into a full sprint, clearing the final distance with a fullsome leap into the air, broadsword raised above her head, grasped in both hands. Wasabi was coming in low from the other side, too, snaking around the ground and diving upwards with twin, uppercut slashes. Both of the heroic blades sliced through the ice at the same time, engraving deep scars across the stationary weapon!

 

 

Both ice and steel shattered and split at the same time, the collected effort of the team bearing fruits. A subdued celebration broke out for the first little victory, the members of Big Hero 6 whooping and hollering, as the gargantuan Guardian stumbled backwards, now wielding a stubby, not-as-big sword – it certainly couldn't be called small, just not-as-big.

 

 

Despite it's lack of intelligence, the Heartless trembled in something akin to rage at it's destroyed weapon. Dozens of lesser Heartless spawned into existence, once more beckoned by the presence of the Ushi-Oni. It seemed there would be only one way to stem the tide....

 

 

“Kairi. Get going.” Paine growled, tersely, already squaring up with the newly summoned Heartless. “We've taken care of the biggest issue. Finish the mission...”

 

 

Kairi was so stunned that Paine was addressing her, she almost forgot to respond to her orders, eventually managing to squeak out a, “Uh, yeah. Got it!”

 

 

“Take care of yourself, Hiro.” Honey Lemon said to the young genius.

 

 

“Don't do anything crazy, man.” Wasabi said, offering similar levels of concern. Hiro nodded, assuring his friends and teammates.

 

 

“I'll be okay guys, don't worry. I've got Kairi and Baymax backing me up.” Kairi flashed a reassuring smile at Hiro's faith in her, while Baymax gave a stiff thumbs up.

 

 

The battle resumed, the Heartless charging again, and the heroes meeting them on the field. The Gullwings and (two-thirds of) Big Hero 6 did their best to put on a show, using their biggest, flashiest moves to draw attention to themselves and away from Kairi, Hiro, and Baymax, the three moving a safe distance away from the battle, in order to make their getaway.

 

 

Hiro climbed up Baymax' broad back, Kairi watching the boy as he set his palms onto round black ports set in against the red armour, and then motioned for her to come aboard. The Key Bearer knew that similar magnetic technology had been installed in her suit – _They really should have started with the practical reasons if they wanted to convince me_ , came her thoughts – but was still a little hesitant to put it into practice. Still, there Kairi found herself, magnetically clinging onto Baymax, huddling on top of the robot next to Hiro, hearing all of her friends wage war all the while.

 

 

“You ready for this?” Hiro's voice broke through the noise of combat, causing Kairi to refocus.

 

 

All things considered, the plan was so far going off without a hitch. The Heartless were distracted, even Ushi-Oni was occupied with the combined front the others were putting on. Now, all that was left was to get airbourne and take out the Stone. Maybe it was just the pessimistic side of her, but Kairi couldn't help but feel all this good fortune was just to set her up for an even bigger fall.

 

 

_Because you know Luxord is still out there._ She reminded herself. There was no way the gamer Nobody would give up on his “entertainment” so easily. _And you don't know if you can beat him in a straight fight, if it comes to that. You don't know if you can control your anger and obsession. If he starts his same tricks again, can you resist, Kairi? You still don't know why you're here, why you have the Keyblade why -_

 

 

Kairi shook her head, cutting her own monologue off, and cursed herself for thinking like that in this moment, before finally responding to Hiro, putting on a confident act for the boy. “I think I should be asking you that, Hiro.” She said, trying to sound playful. “After all, I've done this before. This is your first real time fighting the bad guys. Sure you're not scared? Nervous?”

 

 

“Me? Scared? No!” Hiro's voice cracked, drawing out a cat's smile from the redhead. He cleared his throat. “I mean, **no**.” The teen genius said, forcing his voice to go deeper, before chuckling sheepishly and returning to his original register. “I just... I was worried about you is all, Kairi. You are my friend, after all.”

 

 

Kairi smiled, fondly. “Thank you, Hiro. I'm doing fine. And I'm sure you'll be okay, too.”

 

 

The young scientist nodded, before lowing himself near Baymax' head, tapping his robotic friend on the helmet. “You good to go, too, big guy?”

 

 

“ _Scanning._ ” Was Baymax' immediate response, lights flickering across his visor, as his processors whirred, loudly. “ _I have calculated the optimal flight path for both. Stealth and. Efficiency._ ” The robot offered another stiff thumbs up. “ _I am good to go._ ”

 

 

“Awesome! Let's go, then. Wings up!”

 

 

Angular metallic wings mounted on joints near Baymax' shoulders popped up, taking Kairi by surprise. That surprise only furthered when the roar of battle was drowned out by the roar of the jets mounted underneath Baymax' feet. Slowly, the health care robot began to rise, Kairi marveling at the sensation of both the power of the jets, and of gradually levitating from the ground. Giddiness rose up within her, despite the seriousness of the situation. When they were little, both her and Sora talked all the time about how they wished they could fly through the sky. Not in a plane or jet or something, but like a bird or a superhero. Fast and free, blue skies all around, and with the wind whipping through your hair. It was a sweet little dream they shared, and Kairi was about to achieve it – artificial means regardless.

 

 

That giddiness quickly turned to a strange mix of fear and exhilaration, as Baymax's booster rockets turned to full gear. The trio of boy, girl, and robot blasted off into the air, veering sharply to the left and upward, as Kairi felt herself clench her jaw, instinctively. The rush of excitement was undeniable and almost fun – like a roller coasted kicked up to the Nth degree – with the wind whistling around her, as they sped beyond the grey, dank expanse of the city and into the... grey, dank expanse of the fog bank. But, at the same time, Kairi felt her entire body shaking (or maybe that was just from the force of the engines), as if she was going to rattle apart into pieces. At the very least, the magnetic grips were doing their job, both Kairi and Hiro firmly locked in place atop Baymax. She didn't have to worry about being thrown off at any rate.

 

 

The path everyone had come up with – and the one Baymax and his scanners seemed to have sussed out - was to dart out far to the left or right, into the fog, before rising above the shroud and then circling back around towards the tower. Less of a chance they would be noticed by the Heartless, and, if they somehow were noticed, it would give Kairi and Hiro more time to react.

 

 

As they traveled through the blanket of fog, Kairi shivered, wishing she had her magic gear to guard against the damp chill that was currently cutting down to her bone. For a brief moment, Kairi held her breath, felt her heart bunch up in her throat, as her visibility was cut to practically zero. If anything was going to go bad, it was here, she just knew it...

 

 

And then, for the first time since setting foot on San Fransokyo, Kairi saw the pure azure blueness of the sky, felt the warmth of the sun on her body, as Baymax finally crested above the oppressive fog cover.

 

 

Kairi craned her neck around. The fog seemed to stretch on for an infinity, blanketing the entire cityscape – a shame, as she wished she could actually see the beloved home of her new friends – but she was able to spy her target for the first time. Peaking above the fog, and coloured white and bright, international safety orange, the lattice-work structure known as San Fransokyo Tower loomed off in the distance.

 

 

There was nothing in between the trio and the tower but vacant, peaceful skies.

 

 

Baymax hovered in the air for a second, his scanner coming to life again. “ _I detect no life signatures in the immediate area._ ”

 

 

“Beautiful.” Hiro held a pair of fingers up to his helmeted temple. “Hey, guys? It's Hiro, do you copy? We just broke through the fog and the tower's in sight. Baymax did a scan and we're clear. How are things on your end.”

 

 

Radio static crackled in Kairi's ear, as GoGo's voice came through. The other practical feature the armour contained was the communication gear mounted in the helmets. Whatever issues Kairi and Hiro would face, they wouldn't be entirely alone. That little fact gave the Key Bearer a much-needed confidence boost.

 

 

“ _These things don't know when to quit._ ” Came the dark-haired, snarky young woman through their comms. The sounds of fighting could be picked up, too, as GoGo grunted with effort over something. “ _And the big boss has decided to join the party, and he's no pushover. Whatever you two gotta do, get it done, fast._ ”

 

 

“You heard her, Baymax! Straight ahead, nice and easy.”

 

 

The trio continued their path towards the tower, but Kairi felt that unease spike within her again. After the nightmare of her first day in the city, and all this training and preparation, this all felt too easy.

 

 

But, she wasn't just being crazy, right? That's what she told herself, at least, as she scanned the horizon, seeing nothing save maybe a few vague shaped that might have been birds. Not to mention, Baymax' scanner gave them the all clear and -

 

 

_Oh... no!_

 

 

“Hiro!” Kairi began, panic edging into her voice, “Baymax can only pick up living things on his scanner, right? Like, besides buildings and whatnot – he can only sense creatures and beings that are living, right?” The tech whiz only gave her a look, not following the train of thought.

 

 

“Yeah, of course.” He returned, slightly incredulous. The tower was getting closer and close. Maybe a little over two-hundred feet out. “I mean, what kind of 'creatures and beings' wouldn't be living? Zombies?”

 

 

“Heartless and Nobodies!” That skeptical expression Hiro held turned to horror fairly quickly. “They aren't living. They aren't biological!” How in the world had they overlooked this? Kairi's heart pounded in her chest. The dread was rising, again. “Hell, the other day, Baymax himself said he couldn't detect any life signs from Lu-”

 

 

Something slammed into Kairi from the side, throwing the girl straight off of Baymax, her magnetic gauntlets offering no resistance to the unseen force, whatsoever.

 

 

This was it. The end. Certainly, Kairi was going to plunge to her death; fall hundreds of feet and go splat against the cold, unforgiving concrete beneath her. Indeed, she did strike against a hard surface, but she didn't fall nearly far enough. Kairi barely had enough time to scream before her body flattened against... something.

 

 

“I shall give you credit for coming up with more robust plans than dear Sora ever did, but we were handling him with the slightest of touch. For you, such uninspired tactics shall not award you any victories against the Organization.”

 

 

Terror and adrenaline subsided, as Kairi gained her bearings. To her great surprise, she was on some sort of platform suspended in midair, made out of – what else? – giant playing cards. All the cards were folded and overlapped so that they took the shape of a great Nobody sigil.

 

 

And, of course, Luxord was standing on the opposite end of the platform, having positioned himself so that he stood directly between Kairi and her target.

 

 

“Kairi? Kairi!?” She could barely hear Hiro above the swirling winds, seeing him and Baymax off in the distance, whipping around wildly, trying to find where the Key Bearer and vanished to. Eventually, they managed to get her in their sights, Baymax racing towards her at maximum thrust. “Just hold on! We're coming!”

 

 

“I have no intention of playing with today, boy.” Luxord pronounced, never turning to face the young genius. The Nobody snapped his fingers, sharply. “I have eked all the amusement I can out of you...”

 

 

Kairi saw it all, and was powerless to stop it. Darting in from the right, blindsiding boy and bot, came a murder of crow Heartless, let by one very large, and very angry raven. The smaller of the avian fiends swarmed around the two, halting Baymax' progress, before the Raging Raven Heartless slammed it's wings into the midsection of the health care robot.

 

 

“ _Oh. Nooo_.” Baymax could barely utter, as he was helpless battered away, him and Hiro falling back beneath the fog, the Heartless giving pursuit.

 

 

“Hiro! Baymax! Why you...” Kairi felt anger bubble inside of her, but forced herself to hold back. Rage could help her, but she couldn't lose control again. _Calm down, Kairi. Remember, you aren't alone. You don't have to do this by yourself..._

 

 

Summoning Destiny's Embrace and taking up a defensive stance, Kairi brought her fingers up to her helmet, fully intending to update the others on the situation and hopefully get some back-up.

 

 

Faster than she could possibly react, Luxord flung a razor sharp card her way, the bladed object striking her right in the center of her forehead. The strike staggered her, pain blossoming immediately, as Kairi saw her helmet and visor literally fall off of her head, the armament being split in half by the precise slice, vibrant scarlet locks exploding outwards in every direction.

 

 

A trickle of blood ran down from her forehead, a river splitting against the bridge of her nose, as she stared down Luxord. Looks like she would be on her own...

 

 

“We will continue our duel, Princess, but this time, without any interruptions!” Luxord had his deck of cards out already, fanning the remainder outwards. “I shall have my satisfaction through this little game of ours!”

 

 

“I don't have time for your nonsense, Luxord! I have something far more important to do!” She could see the spire of the Radio Tower sticking out from behind the Nobody. It was close. Close enough that she could make out the radio dishes dotting the zenith. A hundred, a hundred-twenty feet, at most. Yuna and the others didn't have long before they would be overwhelmed. She had to do this!

 

 

Luxord sensed her desperation, cocking an eyebrow and smirking at the Key Bearer. “And how, exactly, do you intend to accomplish your goal, hmm?” He questioned in a mocking tone. “Don't tell me – have I overlooked a crucial detail? Can Key Bearers suddenly sprout wings and fly now?” Kairi felt her anger burn again, as Luxord chuckled at her misfortune.

 

 

He was right, though, loathed as she was to admit it. She had no way of crossing the gulf between the platform and the tower, and she was certain the grapple wire couldn't clear that much distance.

 

 

_Maybe... maybe if I somehow can get a little closer..._ The gears of Kairi's mind set themselves to spinning, trying to find a solution to the problem at hand.

 

 

Luxord cleared his throat, obnoxiously, breaking her concentration and drawing the attention back to him.

 

 

“Don't try anything stupid or brash, just play the hand that fate has dealt you. You're a victim, nothing more! A helpless damsel who has no value on her own...” Kairi growled at the continued barbs and insults, as Luxord threw his deck of cards into the air, the cards vanishing beyond sight.

 

 

“Your life is just a chip in the pile. Now, it's time to ante up!”

 

 

“You know, I'm getting really sick of hearing all of you creeps calling me 'weak' and 'worthless' over and over and over, again.” She had been saying those kind of things to herself enough, she didn't need any outside reinforcement. Kairi swung her Keyblade before taking it in both hands. “Now that I've gained a little perspective on things, how about I show you my real strength?”

 

 

Luxord let the display of bravado wash over him, responding with a derisive chuckle. “Oh? Is this your strategy, now? To just throw out meaningless words in the most ridiculous manner possible until I die of laughter?” With another dramatic flourish of his, Luxord threw out the rest of his cards, scattering them across the platform. Kairi kept her body tightly coiled, ready to dodge, none of the cards came her way. They just sort of skidded about haphazardly. Some of them took on a red glow, others blue, while some others rapidly expanded in size – to be about three or four feet tall.

 

 

“Well, far be it from me to dissuade you. It's not like you have a bevy of option at your disposal.” More card appeared in the Nobody's, drawn into a line and compressed into a hiltless sword, before he charged at Kairi.

 

 

Which is exactly what she was hoping for! Luxord was just an obstacle, the tower and the Blackheart Stone were her goal. Regardless of the immense distance between her and the spire, she wouldn't be going anywhere if he remained at the far edge of the platform. And seeing as how Luxord has an ego the size of a Gummi ship, it didn't take a whole lot for Kairi to bait him out of his position.

 

 

_Taunting this egomaniac was the easy part..._ Kairi clashed with her foe, blocking his sword. Her eyes briefly darted back to the tower. _Getting over there is the hard part..._

 

 

Taking great care with her footwork and spacial awareness, Kairi parried a flurry of attacks from the gamer Nobody, before calling down a series of lightning bolts around her, the Thundara doing enough to force Luxord to retreat. As he did, Kairi made sure to watch where he stepped; the Nobody took no precaution in crossing the spaces with the cards – red, blue, or gigantic – but Kairi was certain she wouldn't be afford such leniency. The red cards were bombs, she knew that from a frightening and unfortunate amount of experience, and heaven only knew what the blue and over-sized ones did. She couldn't be reckless in her movements here.

 

 

Knowing that much, Kairi planted her feet and used her vantage point to paint her target with every spell in her arsenal. Flaming arrows, spiky chunks of ice, air bombs, whirling blades of super-heated water, and even diamond-shaped spires of stone all zipped through the air towards Luxord, but the target showed no fear or concern for the assault. One snap of his fingers, with the elemental barrage closing in on Luxord, the flurry of spellfire came to a pause in an instant, hanging frozen in place.

 

 

With another look of smug superiority plastered on his face, Luxord took a step backwards, heel touching a giant card. Without warning, the card flipped over, and then again, all in quick succession, the tumbling play piece seemingly swallowing the Nobody, Luxord having vanished from sight completely.

 

 

Kairi blinked rapidly, unsure if she had actually seen what she had seen. Even in this world of magic and superpowers she had stepped into, this whole disappearing act seemed like a step too far...

 

 

The sight of San Fransokyo Tower off in the distance brought her back to reality. Silently chiding herself for losing focus on such a trivial thing, Kairi realized she had a straight path towards her goal. Clearly, Luxord was planning some sort of trap or trick, but if she was just fast enough, then she could avoid whatever game the Nobody had in mind. The redhead broke into a sprint that was equal parts frantic and cautious – she was still doing everything in power not to step on any of the cards scattered about – dashing towards the far edge of the platform, her left hand set against the grapple wire on her hip. Kairi was positive that if she jumped with a running start, the cable could carry her the rest of the way. Her heart pounded in her throat at the thought of such a daredevil leap, but her legs wouldn't stop, her pace picking up even further.

 

 

As Kairi closed in on the edge of the platform, Luxord made his return, as suddenly as he vanished! Rising up to her right from another one of the larger cards, Kairi barely had enough time to register the presence of the gamer before he attacked, having switched his card sword for a pair of human-sized cards. Luxord twirled about, swinging brutally, catching Kairi along the side. Her gleaming white armour became slightly less gleaming, absorbing the impact of the blow and cracking slightly, before Kairi was hurled backwards, landing back-first on the surface of the platform. Before she could even gather her baring and formulate a counterattack, a low rumbling entered Kairi's ears. An all too familiar rumbling noise, as the glowing red card beneath her erupted in a fiery explosion, searing flames licking at her armour as she was propelled through the air, helpless, before smacking down to the cold, metallic surface of the battlefield again.

 

 

Kairi groaned, looking up to see that her fingertips had grazed one of the blue cards.

 

 

_Oh, what now?_

 

 

An abrupt lurching sensation overtook the Key Bearer, as she felt the floor being pulled out from under her. Literally, as the piece of platform she was laying on vanished in a bright, azure flash! Kairi yelped in terror, before catching herself – verbally and physically – as she scrabbled to grab hold of the ledge of the hole that had formed in the platform. Most of her body was dangling precipitously off the space in the floor, the grey fog bank beneath threatening to swallow her whole if her tenuous grip slipped so much as an inch. Kairi's immediate thought was to pull herself back up, but she was Luxord was approaching from head on, slowly strutting towards her, relishing in her suffering. If she tried to physically pull herself up or tried to use her Water Whip, it would only leave her vulnerable to another attack. Another series of being buffeted back and forth by the traps spread about the battlefield.

 

 

Blue light flickered behind Luxord, standing in contrast to the ubiquitous black cloak. A plan began to form in Kairi's head, a plan which was beyond risky and she hated, but it's not as if she had a lot of option left to her at this point. It was do or die; go big or go home!  
  


 

Destiny's Embrace came to her hand, Kairi feeling herself slip down even further as the Keyblade filled her right hand, before tossing the Keyblade into the air. The weapon flew forward in an ungainly arc, devoid of grace, moving pass Luxord, who cocked an eyebrow at the apparent patheticness of the attack. But it wasn't an attack. And it wasn't aimed at Luxord. Kairi hoped and prayed her hunch was right, that the traps triggered through any sort of contact or stimulus, as Destiny's Embrace skittered along, brushing against the blue card.

 

 

Just as with the space Kairi used to stand on, the segment of platform beneath Destiny's Embrace disappeared in a bright flash, the Keyblade tumbling downward.

 

 

With one last deep breath, and a silent prayer to anything or anyone listening to her, Kairi released her grip on the edge, plummeting towards her certain doom. Destiny's Embrace return to her hands, and she conjured her Water Whip, faster than she had ever formed the spell. The magical lash snaked upwards, as it's caster clenched her teeth in terror, before hooking pack onto the floating platform, on the space Destiny's Embrace banished. With the line secure, Kairi tugged as hard as she could, slingshotting herself back upwards, away from certain death and towards just possible death.

 

 

The Key Bearer came to a sliding stop, back on the battlefield, miraculously avoiding anymore trap cards. A stunned expression was plastered on her face, as even she wasn't entirely sure how she had managed to pull that off.

 

 

Luxord stared on, blankly, similarly perplexed by his opponent's death-defying skills.

 

 

“Well... that was certainly quite the display. My hat off to you, Princess.” The gambler returned to a more cagey stance, the larger cards in his hands breaking down into a series of regular sized cards, all hovering and orbiting about him. “I do wish this resolve and courage had manifested earlier, but take care knowing that one impressive feat of daring do does not a victory make.... Let us begin the next round!” Kairi similarly took up a fighting stance, as well.

 

 

“I told you Luxord, I'm not playing your games.” The light wielder countered, surveying her position. Much to her rotten luck, in spite of all the drastic movement across the platform, she had ended up in almost the exact same place she had started. And with Luxord still standing in between her and the tower. “As much as I would like to take you out, there are more important things at stake here!” Here best play might be to wait for Hiro and Baymax to return. Not knowing where they were and being unable to help them made her feel sick in the pit of her stomach. “So get out of my way or I'll make you get out of my way!”

 

 

Yet again, Luxord dismissively disregarded the bluster and bombast of the Key Bearer. “As I told you, your willing participation in neither requested nor required! Fate binds us to these clashes and I will see both of out respective fates play out to their bitter end!”

 

 

Whirling, bladed cards launched forward, a cloud of death zeroing in on Kairi, who responded quickly with her barrier. The cards harmlessly bounced off the shimmering wall of light, as the master of said cards vanished beneath one of the larger playing cards.

 

 

Kairi stood on guard, unsure if she should charge ahead or stand her ground. A few dozen scenarios and strategies played out in her head, but they all ended in her being stopped by Luxord and having to deal with him. Much as she just wanted to push forward and execute the plan, the Nobody was proving to be a more obnoxious obstacle than at first blush.

 

 

Tightening her grip of Destiny's Embrace, heart beating a jackrabbit's pace, Luxord made his return to the stage, launching another attack, Kairi moving to counter.

 

 

However she was going to deal with this opponent, this battle, she was going to have to struggle on her own, for the time being.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Paine and Rikku's cover – a moving van – was blasted into the air, the two Gullwings scurrying away to find another hiding spot. Ushi-Oni continued it's terrible and inexorable advance, bursts of dark energy charging within the gap between it's horns, raining down bolts of hellish plasma, which annihilated everything it struck.

 

 

The two turned a corner, finding the others cowering in an alley way between buildings, as they could hear the sounds of Ushi-Oni's rampage not too far behind them. Buildings, roads, vehicles, trees, and other edifices being blasted to bits by the dark lightning. It would only be a matter of time before it's onslaught reached them again.

 

 

“Are you two, okay?” Yuna asked immediately upon her companions appearance, speaking in hush tones as if to masque their presence even more.

 

 

“As okay as we're going to be...” Was Paine's gruff reply, as she snorted in annoyance. They had put a lot of work in eliminating all the lesser Heartless Ushi-Oni summoned, and thought they had hit a major turning point by destroying it's sword, but, ever since, it had just been attacking nonstop with it's lightning attack. The intensity and power of the bolts tore through their defences like they were nothing, forcing the hero team to retreat, their line broken, as the monstrous titan pressed forward, an unstoppable engine of destruction.

 

 

“Tell me you guys have some idea how to stop that thing?” Wasabi brought forth. Despite being the largest of the group, he had positioned himself furthest down the alley, crouching behind GoGo for extra cover. He was right to question their next move. While they had successfully destroyed it's sword, the Guardian itself had proven otherwise impervious to their attacks.

 

 

“I have an idea!” Fred declared.

 

 

“I have a better one.” GoGo stepped forward, despite Wasabi's protests at having lost his human shield, turning around to face her cowering friend. “I say we do _that_.” Wasabi's eyes widened in fear. Well, even more fear. “What did you call it, Fred?”

 

 

“Operation Wasabi Wheel!”

 

 

“Yeah. That one.”

 

 

The black man gulped, shaking his head furiously. “Nope. No way! Even if that idea wasn't insanely dangerous – which it is – there's no way it's going to work against that thing!”

 

 

While the two began to bicker, Fred jumping in and out to offer his two cents, one of the buildings a block over exploded after being struck by one of the plasma bolts. Concrete and glass rained down, as the argument became more fevered and pitched, while Yuna and Paine took stock of the situation.

 

 

“Honestly, I'm worried,” Yuna began, “Not about us, but about Kairi and Hiro. It shouldn't take them this long to get to the Stone. Something must have happened to them...” Paine's eyes narrowed in admission to Yuna's point, but she didn't say or do anything. The heterochromatic eyed girl couldn't divine if that was Paine's faith in the Key Bearer, or a result of their recent bad blood.

 

 

Fortunately, if the Gullwings wanted something done impetuously and without restraint, they had Rikku. “Yo! Hiro, Baymax, Red, do you guys copy? Over.” The blonde spoke into her radio, hand pressed against her helmet. Everyone settled down and listened in, static crackling over the line.

 

 

“ _Guys! Guys! We're in big – Baymax! Look out!_ ” Hiro's distressed cries came over the line, along with the distinct sounds of conflict, setting everyone back on edge. “ _That was too close, we need to get some air, quickly!_ ”

 

 

“Hiro, where are you? What's going on?” GoGo questioned quickly, as more muffled sounds could be overheard through the radio. A low rumbling, like Baymax' thrusters, and something maybe like the flapping of wings.

 

 

“ _We got ambushed by Luxord! Kairi got knocked off and – I don't know, there was some kind of platform..._ ” As Hiro explained, the look of alarm and worry grew on the face of Yuna. Separating from her was a bad idea. Of course Luxord was lying in wait to strike again! How could they be so blind? As Hiro continued, she brought a hand up to her comm, trying to reach Kairi.“ _He sicced some Heartless on us, too. We got knocked below the fog bank – I have no idea where anything is! You guys, Kairi, the tower._...”

 

 

“Kairi? Kairi? Come in, Kairi! Can you hear us?” Yuna pleaded repeatedly, everyone listening in with critical intent. But, no matter how Yuna called out, there was no response on the other end. “This is bad! We need -”

 

 

Yuna's desperation was drowned out by a deafening explosion, as a building nearby exploded from another plasma bolt. Debris rained down on the heroes. The Guardian Heartless was getting closer.

 

 

“What we need to do is stop this thing. Sooner than later.” Paine countered, arming herself with both her sword and shield. Yuna's mouth gaped open, as she stared at her ally in disbelief.

 

 

“Paine, we can't just abandon Kairi to fight the Organization on her own! We need to help and-”

 

 

“How can we help her if we get mowed down by that thing?” Paine countered, staring at Yuna with those steely crimson eyes. “Besides, Kairi knew the risks when she came up with this plan. We all knew them.” Yuna gritted her teeth together, at how flippant she was acting towards Kairi, all because they were in the middle of a spat. The former Summoner silently cursed the stubbornness of her longtime companion, but the white-haired woman continued to speak, unabated by those curses. “When I said you coddle her too much, I didn't say that just out of anger. You do. You can't always be there for her to bail her out of a jam. If you have as much faith in her as you say you do, then you need to give her a chance to spread her wings and fly.”

 

 

Yuna was dumbstruck by Paine's statement. Despite all the anger and vitriol she and Kairi had shared the past few days, Paine hadn't entirely given up on the Key Bearer. Then, Yuna remember some words Paine had shared with her several days ago.

 

 

“I have Kairi's type pegged. She's the kind of person who always performs best under pressure.”

 

 

“Paine, I-”

 

 

The white-haired swordswoman began her grim march out of the alleyway, back to the battle. “If we're going to survive this, we need to get rid of those horns.” Authoritative and commanding, Paine began to dole out orders to the group. “You two,” she motioned to Wasabi and GoGo. “You're with me, and you're doing that combo attack, no matter how silly or dangerous it is. Honey Lemon, Rikku, I'm going to need a boost to get up. The rest of you, give us covering fire.”

 

 

“Hiro, try to hold on. We'll be with you in a jiffy.” Honey Lemon informed the boy over the comm, before adding, nervously, “I hope...”

 

 

Everyone broke in an instant: Fred leaping to the top of an un-ruined building, with Rikku following suit by using a grapple wire to scale another rooftop. Paine brazenly darted out into the open streets, shield and barrier up, ready to meet the Ushi-Oni head-on. Her sudden burst of activity certainly got the attention of the gargantuan Heartless, as it immediately went to face her, charging up another burst of plasma. Before it could launch the attack, however, Yuna followed in her friend's footsteps, laying down a steady stream of suppressing fire to disrupt the growing attack. Ushi-Oni flinched and staggered slightly, but the ball of plasam kept on growing, steadily.

 

 

From behind the Heartless, though came a stream of fire and the blast of several explosive, as Fred and Rikku joined the fray, raining down even more damage on the titan. The Guardian's body shudddered, as it's attack vanished into wisps of blackness, before it lashed out in fearsome rampage, thrashing wildly at the buildings around it, sending more concrete cascading downwards. Elsewhere, Honey Lemon had slinked in behind Paine and Yuna, throwing down yet another bouncy gel blob, between Paine and the Heartless.

 

 

Paine sprinted forward, with Yuna catching a glimpse of something speed up behind the Heartless. Certainly, Wasabi had some right to complain, as he and GoGo looked patently ridiculous, with GoGo crouched flat towards the road, mounted on all four wheels, zooming forward with Wasabi striding atop her, like she was some kind of living, snarky skateboard.

 

 

“GoGo, seriously! Slow down!” Wasabi screeched, as the wheeled woman narrowly avoided chunks of building raining down on them. “Watch the road! Safety first!” Wasabi continued to wail and scream out advice, earning a low growl from his current mode of transportation.

 

 

“Hey, this isn't pleasant for me, either!” She snapped back. “So the least you can do is cut down on the backseat driving!” The duo came up to one of the rear legs of the Heartless. GoGo flattened her body even closer to the ground. “Now hold on, I'm going to kick it into high gear!”  
  


 

“Oh no! _Oh no_!”

 

 

Wasabi barely had enough time to lower himself, lest he lose his balance, before GoGo accelerated to ludicrous speed.

 

 

On the other side of the alley, Paine still charged towards the Heartless from the front, taking another dramatic leap to land on top of the bouncing ball of jelly. The swordswoman launched herself into the air with amazing force, as GoGo ramped herself up onto the hind leg of the crab-like Heartless, scooting and curving around it's bulky body. From across the way, with well-practiced motions, Rikku tossed another of her grapple-wires towards Paine, the woman seizing it and, in one fluid motion, fire it off, hooking the grapple at the horns of the Heartless.

 

 

As if the two dark, dour, snarky woman shared some kind of dark and dour psychic bond, Paine and GoGo made their way to the apex of the colossal Heartless at almost the exact same time; Paine pulling herself upwards to the left side and GoGo's wheels dragging her and Wasabi up the broad back of the monster, creeping up behind it's neck and to the right. Proving that that level of synchronicity wasn't exclusive to the two, both Paine and Wasabi made focused and powerful swings towards to their respective horns, the gleaming broadsword and blistering plasma blades slicing through the cresting antlers!

 

 

All three heroes touched back down before the now maimed Heartless, Ushi-Oni once more miming rage at the loss of another one it's weapons – trembling and shaking while bring it's hands up to the uneven nubs where it's horns once proudly protruded. During this little temper tantrum, the ranged attackers continued their onslaught, bombs and flames and magical bullets raining down against the armoured carapace of the friend. The Heartless mostly shrugged off the onslaught, before conjuring a cloud of dark energy in the air, unleashing another offensive flurry down on the resisting heroes.

 

 

In the blink of an eye, a hail of weapons constructed from the energy flooded the air and fell forth towards Paine and the others. Katanas and naginatas and arrows and other nasty things made of the blackish energy zeroed in on them, the heroes forcing to switch to defence. Paine's shield summoned its barrier wall, Yuna encircled them all in her Reflega spell, while Honey Lemon created barricade walls of chemically induced ice. The triple layer of defence absorbed the deluge of attacks, but the group was pinned down beneath it all, Ushi-Oni free to lumber forward once again.

 

 

“Come on! How many tricks does this thing have!” GoGo complained, forced to stand back and watch while the defenders did their best to keep the cover up.

 

 

“I'm more concerned that, despite all our efforts, we've only manage to slow this thing down. Slightly.” Paine grunted, as she felt thundering impacts collide with her barrier. The first line of protection, Honey Lemon's ice wall, was being torn away and demolished faster than she could throw her chem-orbs. Fred and Rikku were still peppering the Guardian from behind, but the Heartless wasn't even registering the attacks. “We're more an annoyance to this thing than proper threats...”

 

 

“I hope one of you guy has another plan, because we are in serious trouble here!” Wasabi panicked, pacing back and forth, flinching every time one of the shadowy weapons collided with Paine or Yuna's barriers. “Forget trying to help out Hiro or Kairi – wherever they are! We can't even save ourselves!”

 

 

Yuna tried to bolster the panicky scientist's confidence, offering him a reassuring smile. She had been in similar jams like this before. She had been in even worse situations, too, once or twice. She and her companions had always pulled through, no matter how dire the scenario.

 

 

“We just need to -” Yuna stopped short. She stopped speaking because, for whatever reason, the Ushi-Oni had stopped attacking! The Heartless was craning it's head about, malicious yellow eyes staring unerringly through the fog, it's alien sight peering through the cloudy veil, searching for something.

 

 

Completely ignoring and abandoning the Gullwings and members of Big Hero, the heroes had been engaged with until now, and stomped off back towards where it came. Back towards San Fransokyo Tower.

 

 

“Damn it all!” Paine growled, before sprinting forward again, in hot pursuit of the Heartless.

 

 

“Why is that thing leaving?” GoGo questioned, stepping forward, the barriers now dispelled.

 

 

“And why does that fact frighten me even more?” Came Wasabi. Yuna grimaced, having caught Paine's urgency, before firing up her radio.

 

 

“Rikku! Get after that thing, we need to stop it!” When the trio of Big Hero members looked to her for clarification, Yuna explained, “Heartless fear the Keyblade, they go after it's Wielders first and foremost. I think it just realized none of us have a Keyblade _and_ it sensed where Kairi is. That monster's making a beeline to Kairi!”

 

 

The Ushi-Oni plodded forward at it's glacial but unstoppable pace, slowly but surely storming towards Kairi. Yuna and the others continued to assail the beast, throwing everything up to and including the kitchen sink to try and stop the Heartless from advancing any further. But, their attacks continued to prove largely ineffective against it's armoured form, marring the surface of the carapace, but not inflicting any lasting damage. It was just as Paine had said, they were just annoyances to this titan. Nothing more than flies, buzzing and flitting about.

 

 

After unsuccessfully trying to crack one of it's leg joints with a hail of Blizzaga spells, Yuna sighed, defeatedly, eyes drifting forward, down the straight path the Heartless was marching upon. Kairi was fighting that Nobody somewhere down the line, alone and vulnerable, unaware of how pear shape things had gone down here. Up ahead, Paine had stopped to catch her breath, Yuna jogging up to meet with her companion.

 

 

“I know you said Kairi eventually has to fight on her own, but this, this is...” Yuna sighed again, her eyes meeting with Paine's. For as long as she had known the woman, Yuna knew Paine as always being honest, brutally so, and her eyes were never any different. Hard, stern, unyielding, and often times cold, like a horrible truth you didn't want to confront. “I have a feeling we can't do anything from down here. That winning or losing completely depends on whatever Kairi does.”

 

 

Paine laughed, bitterly. “That's how it's always been, Yuna. We live or die depending on who's holding the Keyblade. Leon even said he thought as much, back when he first met Sora.”

 

 

“Hey, Paine, I know that you and Kairi are at odds right now, but... do you really think she can do this? Can she pull through at a time like this?”

 

 

Paine didn't respond immediately, instead silently staring at her friend, with Yuna staring right back. Mismatched eyes of green and blue met those ruby irises, both women sizing the other up.

 

 

Finally, Paine picked up her pace, running forward. “We shouldn't waste time talking. Even if we can't do much, even if we don't have Keyblades, every little thing we can do will still count for something.”  
  


 

“Right.” Yuna nodded, trailing behind the swordswoman, feeling alleviated and self-assured. Paine did not answer her question, but she was confident she had read her heart through her eyes; those eyes always did speak the truth. That despite the arguing, Paine did have her faith squarely behind Kairi. Maybe that's why she got so angry, because she felt betrayed that someone she trusted so much would do that. Well, questions like that could be answered at another time...

 

 

The two made their way back into the thick of it, Yuna's mind flicking forward further beyond the fog bank one last time.

 

 

_Kairi... please be safe. And if this helps, even a little bit, now that our hearts are with you. Remember what I told you in the Underworld. We still have faith in you, no matter what._

 

 

Yuna hoped her little prayer would be enough to push the Key Bearer through this ordeal.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

A flurry of cards battered into Kairi, staggering her and knocking the girl off course. Tumbling downwards, she was barely able to avoid touching a blue card, twisting her body out of the way... but in doing so, she ended up falling on her butt, her hand briefly grazing against a red card. The subsequent explosion tore through the armour plating on her left gauntlet, scorching both the undersuit and flesh, as Kairi was blasted away to the other side of the platform.

 

 

Things had not been going well.

 

 

She figured that this skirmish wouldn't be a walk in the park; getting past Luxord and making a desperate dive towards the tower seemed easy on it's face, but Kairi knew better. Even with her expectations adjusted, though, the difficulty of the task was proving overwhelming. Luxord certainly had the terrain advantage, fighting on this trap-infested platform, as every single misstep Kairi made led to her being punished by bombs and false floors (how she had not fallen off this floating battlefield yet was a mystery to her; she had more than her fair share of close calls already). Not to mention, with the gigantic cards spread about, Luxord had supreme mobility, able to quickly move about anywhere on the platform at the simplest of whims. He could close in on Kairi to harass her when she was making progress, only to skulk away and harry her at a range whenever she retook the advantage. And while the gamer Nobody lacked Lexaeus' titantc strength, or Xaldin's impossible tolerance for damage, his cards allowed him to attack and defend simultaneously, and from any direction and any angle. Kairi was loathe to refer to this fight as a “game”, by her opponent's jargon, but in this game, Luxord held all the cards. He had all the advantage in the world.

 

 

Yet, despite that fact, and despite the injuries she had sustained, Kairi stood back up, ready to go another round.

 

 

“I suppose I should commend you for your tenacity, but...” Luxord was standing opposite of Kairi, a full set of cards orbiting around him. The tower was off in the distance, directly to Kairi's left and the Nobody's right. “But tenacity without foresight, without awareness, without recognition of one's failings is not a virtue, but a vice.”

 

 

Kairi did not respond. She was beyond sick and tired of hearing Luxord natter on in the most circuitous and long-winded way imaginable. He didn't need any further engagement to keep spewing his pompous crap. Instead, Kairi broke to the left, making a mad dash for the empty space between the platform and the tower. She still didn't have an entirely clear idea of how she would cross the gulf that separated her from the tower and the Blackheart Stone, but she figured she wouldn't have to answer that question right now.

 

 

Luxord popped out from beneath an over-sized card, as Kairi figured would happen, perfectly imposing himself between her and her goal. Upon his manifestation, Luxord lunged at Kairi with his card sword, thrusting low to her stomach. Kairi deftly swept the blow aside, bring Destiny's Embrace back around to slash downward at the Nobody, only from Luxord to slither away again, hiding beneath the card he used for transportation. Not taking any chances, Kairi planted her feet and conjured a quick flurry of spells, anything that covered a wide area around her. Aerora brought a fierce cyclone surrounding her, followed by Thundara raining down lightning bolts, and then a halo of flames revolving around her courtesy of her Fira spell. The attacks were rash and random, a desperate bid to try and counter Luxord from wherever he was coming from, but the magic onslaught just crashed around the platform without much effect. The Nobody was nowhere to be seen.

 

 

Figuring Luxord would only make his return in response to her move, Kairi took a cautious step forward, eyes wildly whipping about to try and get a visual on her enemy. Save for the howling wind, it was eerily quiet on this battlefield in the sky. Kairi was isolated, completely cut off from her allies. She hadn't seen Hiro or Baymax since they plunged back beneath the fog, and she had even less knowledge of the battle on the ground. Kairi managed to push that dread back down; she had to trust her friends, just like they had placed their faith in her.

 

 

Kairi took one more careful step, before she felt the entire world turn upside down. Something from beneath her feet threw her upwards, sending the girls tumbling through the air! As the sky all spun around her, Kairi caught the sight of Luxord, rising from a large card she was standing on – stupid Kairi! – and then slinging a series of razor-sharp cards at her. The Key Bearer did her best to defend herself, swinging her blade about to parry the projectiles, but the bladed cards slipped past her guard, slashing at her armour and cutting at her most exposed area. Her helmet and left gauntlet had been shredded to bits, as had both of her pauldrons, and there were some fissures rent deep on both her chestplate and back, and the damage inflicted was only growing deeper, as the redhead did her best to withstand the storm consuming her.

 

 

Just as he had during the battle in the warehouse, Luxord took the air, shooting up high and fast, to the point where he crested above Kairi just as the girl hit her apex. The _deja vu_ continued, with Luxord swinging his giant cards about, smashing into Kairi's back. The cracks on the backside of the armour deepened, chunks of ivory laminate flying off into the sky, as Kairi was spiked back to the ground. The gamer Nobody further maneuvered himself in the air, flitting off to the side, as gravity took hold of the flurry of card, the sharp projectiles descending ominously upon the prone Key Bearer. Only now they were glowing a burning red.

 

 

“Oh son of a -”

 

 

Kairi barely had enough time to flare up a Reflera barrier, the hexagonal plated dome doing it's best to weather to force of the repeated explosions, but it could only shield the Princess of Light from around half of the bombs, before breaking apart, Kairi being consumed by a vicious firestorm.

 

 

“Tell me, when are you going to show me this 'real strength' of yours?” Luxord spoke in the direction of the could of smoke and ash that covered Kairi's figure. “Or was that pitiful display supposed to be it?” A burst of green light erupted from beneath the smoke cloud, billowing it away, revealing Kairi. She was scuffed up and worse for wear, but her Cura spell had at least given her a second wind. Not to mention, her body may have been banged up, but her fighting spirit still burned as bright as ever, as she defiantly glared down her enemy.

 

 

Luxord did not take such brazen opposition well.

 

 

“Enough with the silent act! It's exasperating beyond belief!” Luxord sniped, dramatically swinging his arm in a form of mock-rage. Kairi actually felt a bit of pride that she could get underneath Luxord's skin in such a manner. “This is a fated encounter. This is to be your ultimate demise! Do you really want to spend your final moments sneering like a petulant child?”

 

 

“...If you want an answer, Luxord, my real strength isn't something you'd ever be able to understand, no matter how many times I show it.” Ever since she had touched down in San Fransokyo, Kairi's life had been a complete hurricane. Events and revelations just slammed down upon her over and over. But, the heartsick and confused girl still had time between all that to think and contemplate on the questions that had been hanging over her head since her first day in the city. “I'm still learning, and I'm still struggling, but I can stand up to monsters like you. And I'm getting better everyday. At magic and at swordplay. If I were as weak as you say I am, I wouldn't be standing here now!” Long days of training lead to long periods of self-reflection. On what she had done. “But even more important than that, more important than my Keyblade and my magic and whatever other combat skills I have...” Not blindly grasping out to Sora at the expense of everything else, though that still brought deep shame to crash down upon Kairi. No. What Kairi thought of the most, during these dour and depressive days was how, when Hiro was in need of help the most, she hesitated. It didn't matter if she did eventually reach out to the ailing young genius, her reluctance and selfishness shined through first. It didn't matter if she eventually dived in and intervened, her hesitance stuck out like a sore thumb

 

 

A friend of hers was in dire need of companionship and support, and what was her first thought? “I'm broken and hurting, so I shouldn't step in and help Hiro”. Never had Kairi felt so disgusted with herself than with that specific memory.

 

 

“I have my heart!” Kairi declared, voice rising as loud as it could, being carried throughout the open sky by the winds whipping about her. “My empathy and my sympathy! I have the drive and determination to help those in need! You go around and treat peoples lives like their games, torturing them, casting shadows on their hearts. Well, I'll find those people you've afflicted and offer them a helping hand. I'll pull them out of the shadows and heal the scars on their hearts!” Whatever the future held for her and her companions, Kairi never wanted to let a friend twist in the wind when they needed a helping hand the most. “No matter how much I have to suffer, no matter how broken my heart becomes, I'll keep reaching out to others! I'll keep saving them with the power that I have!”

 

 

Despite all the drama, all the doubt, all the pain, and all the tears, Kairi had absolute clarity on this. This was the answer she had been seeking.

 

 

This was why she was fighting. This was why she had the Keyblade.

 

 

Luxord showed no immediate reaction to Kairi's earnest and impassioned plea, remaining still and silent as he studied the Key Bearer and words. Kairi screwed her face up in determination, settling her heart rate and calming herself down. Bravado or not, she had taken significant damage up to this point. She couldn't put up this level or resistance for much longer. Sooner rather than later, she would have to make her play for the tower.

 

 

Finally, the Nobody responded, his lips splitting into a ghoulish grin as he cackled like a maniac, spitting in the face of the Key Bearer's sentiments. “Your heart? Your heart? That's your power? HA! Of all the saccharine pablum that could have fallen out of your mouth, you went with that?” Luxord's face contorted into a truly horrific sneer, barely missing a beat as he transitioned expressions. It was more than a little unsettling that he could manage that. “Allow me to enlighten you as to why your 'power' is nothing more than a farce. Your heart is not power, no heart is! It is but an anchor that will drag you down into the abyss.” Luxord began to pace back and forth atop the platform while delivering his tirade, his voice rising to a nasty, shrill tone. “It is the very reason why a Somebody can never triumph against a Nobody! We cast aside our hearts – cast aside useless things like empathy and compassion – in order to become perfect, transcendent beings! Unfettered by such meaningless emotions, we are the ultimate beings in this universe! Those charged with the stewardship of it's fate – of course I treat others like a game, I have every bloody right to!”

 

 

Kairi reared up to counter such an ugly rant, but Luxord was quick to cut her off. “Don't even try to deny my words! You know they are the very essence of truth!” With a pointed finger and adamant gaze, Luxord cut through Kairi's resistance and to the feelings nestled in her heart. “Your heart will be your downfall, as it has to others before you. Your friend Riku succumbed to the darkness and was swallowed whole. Sora gave up everything for your sake. And how many lives did you almost callously throw away to return the favour, hmm? All because of the feeble, pathetic, worthless thing you call your 'power'...”

 

 

Flinching against those cutting words, Kairi cast her head downward, covering her eyes and her face from the piercing scowl of the Nobody. He wasn't wrong, loathed as she was to admit. Her and her two closest friends, they had been led down dark and tragic roads. Sora's love and Riku's ambitions had led them astray. And she was even worse; at least the boys had victories and success to their names, Kairi had screwed up without anything to balance things out...

 

 

But even then...

 

 

“You're not wrong, Luxord. My heart is weak and ugly; it's full of sin and contradiction. It led me down a dark path, a path I would have deeply regretted....

 

 

A vicious smirk spread across the Nobody's lips, as if he could taste Kairi's apparent despair. That smug sense of superiority was quickly quelled however, when Kairi lifted her head, eyes locking between Key Bearer and Nobody. Within those purple-blue eyes, a bright light could be found, pure and fierce and blazing. Luxord looked taken aback by such fierce defiance, as the spirit of the Princess roared outward. Challenging. Powerful.

 

 

Undeniable!  
  


 

“But it's still my heart!” Kairi yelled at the top of her lungs, passion lacing her voice even moreso than before. Despite the wounds freshly born on her body, Kairi never felt more invigorated or energized in her life before. “It's precious to me! Everything in it is a part of me and I wouldn't have it any other way! I'll live with all my flaws, all my weaknesses and grow stronger!” Raising her Keyblade, the radiant redhead took a step forward. Luxord was in her way again. An obnoxious obstacle to be removed. “If anything, you're the weak ones! All of you in the Organization just tossed your hearts aside because they were an inconvenience! As if they were nothing, instead of living with whatever was wrong with you and growing with it! You're a nothing but a bunch of cowards and...”

 

 

Kairi stopped. She stopped moving. She stopped speaking. Something had just dawned upon her. A question that was now all too important given what she was facing.

 

 

“Wait... you willingly threw away your heart?” Kairi asked, studying Luxord. “Did every Organization give it up willingly?” Luxord didn't say anything, only flashing her a smug look and slightly inclining his head. Kairi read that as a “yes”. “Then why? Why are you going through all this trouble to make Kingdom Hearts and regain your lost hearts?”

 

 

In truth, that had been bugging her for some time. All the Organization Nobodies seemed to have an air of superiority around themselves in regards to other beings. Those with hearts. Luxord especially seemed to revel in being a Nobody. So why engage in a decade long plan to regain something you never wanted in the first place?

 

 

Luxord's cold cackle sent a chill running down her spine. “You actually bought that? Just when I thought my opinion of you couldn't reach a deeper nadir.” Luxord clicked his tongue in dismay. “That little story was just something we used to drum up sympathy and confuse our enemies. Oh, and to keep the soft-hearts like Demyx and Roxas in line. In truth, our grand designs are for something much greater than a couple of hearts. Absolute power! Beyond the likes any such being in the Realm of Light has possessed before! To cause all of creation to bow to our will. That is our desire, that is what we shall obtain.”

 

 

Kairi blinked, dumbfounded at what she had just heard. “Roxas? Roxas was in the Organization?” Another memory quickly surfaced in her mind, that of Luxord off-handedly mentioning Roxas could wield the Keyblade as well. _He was... he was just some kid on Twilight Town, wasn't he? What does he have to do with any of this?_

 

 

“Oh? You know of our long-lost Key to Destiny, do you?” Luxord mused, stroking his goatee as he did. “It's a shame he has departed from the Organization, but such is the cruel realities of fate. Better to accept it and move on than to struggle in vain against the inevitable.” Cruel eyes then fell back on the Key Bearer. “Speaking of cruel fates... are you ready to meet yours?”

 

 

“Absolutely not!” Kairi re-focused herself, pushing her questions about the Organization's goals and Roxas to the back of her mind. Those could come later. “You keep mentioning 'fate' and 'destiny' as if you know the future, but I don't care. I'll keep struggling until I come out ahead!” Halfway between her and Luxord was a pair of the explosive red cards. The tower and the Blackheart Stone still loomed behind the Nobody. Gears began turning in her head, Kairi formulating a plan. Formulating her winning move.

 

 

Keyblade kept low to her side, off-hand extended and firing spells, Kairi charged headlong across the platform. Luxord made the bare effort to dodge the attacks, before pulling an object out from the folds of his cloak, causing Kairi to skid to a full stop.

 

 

The King of Hearts.

 

 

“I never announced that our game had finished. It is quite live in fact, and the same rules still apply.” Luxord waved the card in Kairi's face, taunting her. And it was oh-so tantalizingly close too. Sora was oh-so tantalizingly close... “Just as promised, if you can take possession of this card, the boy will be liberated.”

 

 

Kairi felt a hard knot form in her throat, as her breath froze in her lungs. All too familiar feelings rose up in her soul, most powerful of all being the overwhelming desire to rashly lash out and take that card. Take back Sora. After all, why not take the chance? She screwed up because she let others get caught in a maelstrom of her own making. Right now, it was just her and Luxord. No one else to get hurt. No one else...

 

 

But that wasn't true. Hiro and Baymax were somewhere beneath the cloud cover, being assailed by Heartless. Further down, on the ground, Yuna and Paine and the others were battling the Ushi-Oni. Just because they weren't physically here, didn't mean they were in need. Didn't mean they couldn't use her help.

 

 

“What's with the hesitation, Princess?” Luxord's voice cut through her train of thought, the Nobody still waving the lone card back and forth. “This is your best friend from childhood. The person who traveled to the edge of existence for your sake. And all you need to do to provide him salvation is snatch away this one minuscule, lonely card. Such an easy task for such a grand reward...

 

 

“Or, perhaps, my initial hunch was right. You don't reciprocate his feelings. That your love for him is lesser. Such a tragedy that he showered you with affection and loyalty and he'll receive nothing in return!”

 

 

Kairi growled, bringing Destiny's Embrace up to bear. She had heard more than enough of Luxord's taunts today. Had more than her share of his psychoanalysis. Of him railing on her and her emotions, trying to tell her what she felt and why.

 

 

“Luxord....” Her response was low, both in tone and volume, while her face was the picture of misery, her eyes and lips quavering. Again, it looked as if Luxord could taste her despair and his victory. “I will save Sora, I promise that. I swear it.”

 

 

Kairi chucked Destiny's Embrace into the air again, Luxord's expression turning to one of puzzlement, as the legendary weapon landed atop the two red cards.

 

 

“But he won't be the only one I'll save. I'll save everyone I cross paths with. Everyone who needs saving. Hiro and myself included. And I'll do it my way and no one else's!”

 

 

Kairi dashed towards where her Keyblade lay, quickly returning it to her hand, as the imminent detonation of the cards grew closer.

 

 

“To hell with you and to hell with your games! I have a Stone to destroy.”

 

 

Leaping into the air, Kairi dove onto the bomb cards, just as the explosion roared outwards. At the very last second, before the heat could lick at her arms and chest, Kairi formed her barrier, summoning the dome before her hands so that it would absorb the brunt of the explosion. Or, rather, it would absorb the searing flames, but not the concussive force, as the Key Bearer angled her body so the explosive force shot her straight upward! Kairi sailed upwards, twenty-five feet, this time tucking herself into a tight ball to control her movements, gracefully rolling skyward, before extending her limbs back out again. With her head crouched down, and her legs bunched up to her buttocks, Kairi threw her arms behind her, calling on another old trick from her training sessions, hoping it would prove as useful as the Water Whip. Furious jets of flame shot out from her palms and her Keyblade, propelling Kairi forward like a rocket, over Luxord's head and towards the tower. Eventually, the flames grew so bright and so large, consuming the entirety of both her forearms, looking like the blazing wings of a great, majestic firebird.

 

 

Before she left the aerial battlefield behind, Kairi spared a brief glance downward, relishing in the look of shock and wonder on the face of Luxord, who dumbly let the King of Heart slip from his grasp.

 

 

Yes, Key Bearers could suddenly sprout wings and fly away!

 

 

However, despite the sense of satisfaction of getting one-up on the smug gambler, Kairi's fiery wings soon petered out, the girl reduced to plummeting through the air, as her forward momentum came to an end as well. With one final prayer that this would work, Kairi took a hold of Rikku's grapple-wire and carefully took aim at the lattice-work tower that was still a fair distance away.

 

 

_Either this works or it all goes bust._ The redhead let out a bitter laugh that was drowned out by the whooshing. _At least if this it the end, I went out in style!_

 

 

Kairi depressed the trigger, the grapple – her only life line – launching forward.

 

 

It may have been the longest and tensest second of her life, waiting for the grappling hook to snag onto something, with Kairi afraid to so much as breath, thinking the slightest movement would cause the hook to fail. But, to her tremendous relief, a metallic _CLING_ echoed through the foggy air, with the line snapping taut, Kairi's sharp descent coming to a sudden stop. Somehow, her shoulders didn't pop out of place with the immediate cessation of her momentum, with Kairi quickly hammering on the button to pull her back in. That... may have been a mistake, as Kairi felt herself flung upward at a violent speed for the second time in as many minutes. She couldn't help but scream in terror, as this was a million times worse than flying on Baymax or propelling herself on her fire jet – no excitement or sense of accomplishment, just the sense of impending pain or death!

 

 

That premonition, unfortunately came true, as Kairi reach the end of the line – or close to it, she still had a ways to go before the apex of the Radio Tower – by slamming into the metallic tower! The girl bounced off the hard surface, flesh and bone bruising and rattling even as the armour absorbed the brunt of the impact. The cracks in her armour spread even more, with the majority of her breastplate crumbling off her body, as Kairi helpless swung like a pendulum, barely holding on by the very tips of her fingers.

 

 

 

“Oh my god! Ow! Ow ow....” Kairi winced and yelped, as she finally settled down, finally stopped twisting about. “I'm going to feel that tomorrow... hell, I'll probably feel that next week...” Grimacing, trying to ignore the pain that wracked her body, Kairi took the end of the grappling line and wrapped it around her waist, tying it tightly, before looking up to her final goal. “Well, I got this far, no turning back now, Kairi...”

 

 

Both hands firmly placed on the wire. Both feet planted against the side of the tower, careful to not get them caught between the gaps in the lattice, Kairi began to walk/pull herself upward towards the Blackheart Stone. Slowly but surely, one step at a time.

 

 

Kairi managed a couple minutes of this solitary task, managing to make decent progress in the peace and quiet, before a sharp _TWANG_ filled her ears, as the line she was holding went slack, the Key Bearer beginning to fall towards earth again. Something had cut the line! With desperate haste, Kairi clutched onto one of the crisscrossing bars that formed the body of the tower, clinging for dear life, before gazing up, trying to find what happened that caused her line to break.

 

 

Her heart sank, anger flared, and sorrows deepened when she saw a playing card embedded in the tower.

 

 

“Oh, you've got to be kidding me!”

 

 

“I will always extol a well-executed play whenever it is presented to me, so I must give you all the aplomb in the world for those daring escapades, Princess...” Kairi angled her head to see behind her, finding Luxord was descending an ever-growing staircase made of his human-sized playing cards, cockily marching down the pathway towards her, while raining applause in her direction. “But the High Priestess and the Magician will meet at the Tower, the Priestess will fall, and that will lead to the realization of the World! Such is fate, and fate is inescapable.”

 

 

Kairi narrowed her eyes, shrewdly, shaking her head. What in the world was he talking about? To be honest, she didn't really care, but she knew the best time to strike at the gamer Nobody was when he was in the middle of one of his insipid monologues...

 

 

Taking her right hand off the structure and drawing Destiny's Embrace, Kairi took aim at the Nobody, but the latter proved faster on the draw. Flinging two cards at her, faster than a blink of an eye, both projectiles struck her and cut into her, the first piercing the exposed area of her chestplate, while the second bit into the armour on her right wrist, cracking it and drawing blood as well. Blinding pain overtook the girl, as Destiny's Embrace fell from her grasp, the fingers of her right hand twitching feebly.

 

 

And now, all of a sudden, Kairi's entire bodyweight was being held up by her left hand, as she felt herself slump and sink lower.

 

 

Luxord fanned out a hand of five cards. “While you've provided more amusement than I would initially have predicted, I'm putting an end to this farce, here and now.” With the armour of her left gauntlet having previously been sundered, it was completely vulnerable to the deadly dealing of the gamer. One card bit into her pinky, the digit relinquishing it's grasp on the bar in a spasm of pain. Both her thumb and ring finger followed suit, with Kairi now dangling by the barest of threads via her index and middle fingers. The redhead cried in pain, as her hand throbbed and twitched, the cards still embedded in her flesh. Through bleary eyes, clouded by the agony radiating from her hand, Kairi thought she could see something crest out of the fog cover behind Luxord.

 

 

Luxord held up the fourth and fifth cards menacingly, giving his foe an expression of dour finality. “Well? Any last words before I send you to your demise, Princess?”

 

 

Blackness constantly clouded her field of vision, her focus waning and ebbing with each passing moment, as Kairi tried to shake the stars away. Tried to come up with some kind of last ditch effort that would get her out of this ordeal.

 

 

_Well, I've gambled on thin glimmers of hope before and won... guess I'll push my luck one last time, today!_

 

 

“Last words huh... yeah, I think I have a couple of perfect ones. Three, in fact:

 

 

“Baymax, rocket punch!”

 

 

“What!?”

 

 

“You heard her, buddy! Let's do this!”

 

 

Soaring forth like a guardian angel, with a murder of crow Heartless hot on their tales, Hiro and Baymax were zeroing in on Luxord and Kairi's positions. Right on cue, Baymax shot forward his jet-boosted gauntlet, the armed armament making and even more frantic beeline towards the Nobody! Without little time to react, Luxord brought up a piece of his constructed stairway to serve as shield, crouching behind the giant card, and while the steel-hard card stopped the bludgeoning force of the torpedoing knuckle, it didn't bring a stop to it's momentum! The force of the jets kicked into a whole other gear, with the Nobody having nothing to anchor himself to the the platform he was standing on.

 

 

It was a brief struggle, one which ended with Luxord being swept off his feet and carried into the air, the fist flinging himself backwards into San Fransokyo Tower! Luxord collided with the steel structure, head first, leaving a sizable divot in the sturdy being, and calling out “Bollocks!” before the black cloaked villain helpless dove down towards terra firm, being consumed by the looming shroud of fog.

 

 

“Yes! We did it!” Hiro cheered from atop Baymax, as the robot used both of it's rocket propelled fists to clear out the remaining Heartless. “Kairi. Kairi! Did you see that? Did you see -”

 

 

“Hiro, I'm really _really_ happy for you right now, I really am, but, uh, could we please have this conversation _after_ I get off this tower?”

 

 

Hiro snapped out of his jubilation, seeing that Kairi was practically hanging by her fingernails, about to join Luxord on his trip to an asphalt road. Quickly, Baymax flew underneath the girl, scooping her up on his broad back, Kairi beyond grateful to be in a less perilous situation.

 

 

“You okay, Hiro?” Was Kairi's first question, after painfully plucking the cards from her hand. “You're not hurt or anything?”

 

 

“I should be asking you that – you're a mess!” Hiro exclaimed, before verbally backspacing. “I mean, no, yeah, you're a mess, Kairi!”

 

 

“Yeah, but I'm still alive...” In most other situations, Kairi would heal herself up with her magic, but she still had to destroy the Stone, and she had a pretty good idea she didn't have enough in her tank to do both. “Baymax, take us up to the peak of the tower.” Before the robot could reply, Kairi remembered both her gauntlets were wrecked and quickly squeaked out, “Um, could you maybe go not too fast? If you could? Please and thank you...”

 

 

The health care robot complied with Kairi's request, the trio slowly rising through the air, flying parallel to the upright spire. Kairi tightly hugged Baymax' frame just to be extra cautious. As they steadily gained altitude, Kairi realized just how tall San Fransokyo Tower was, and just how much more climbing she would have had to do, without the assistance of Hiro and Baymax.

 

 

Unfortunately, as much as Kairi would like the mission to end in a smooth manner, she should have figured there would be one last bump in the road, as Hiro cried out.

 

 

“Um... Kairi, what the heck's going on down there?”

 

 

Opening her eyes (she had shut them due to the fear of slipping off Baymax) Kairi stared down to where Hiro was pointing, down towards the shroud of fog. A turbulent storm was raging below them, twisting one mass of the grey cloud, parting the veil and actually opening a spot of visibility. Much to Kairi's chagrin, though, the only sight to been seen within the circular partition was the titanic Ushi-Oni Heartless, which seemed to be willing the fog to part.

 

 

“ _Hiro, watch out! You're gonna have some company coming for you guys!_ ” Kairi overhead GoGo on Hiro's radio.

 

 

“Oh, trust me, we know...” Was Hiro's nervous response. He then looked to his friend for guidance. “So? What do we do, Kairi?”

 

 

Before Kairi could respond, Ushi-Oni unleash a squall of dark energy in the form of weapons. Baymax pulled back from the tower and rolled and swooped about to avoid the rain of spears and swords, Kairi holding on for dear life. She was beginning to lose sensation in her arms and hands. Time was of the essence; she definitely couldn't hold out for ever.

 

 

“We go for the Blackheart Stone!” Kairi's command came over the roar of Baymax' engines and whistling of the wicked weapons winding through the wind. “That's our objective, that's our goal. No guts, no glory!” Hiro nodded, gently tapping on Baymax' head.

 

 

“You heard her, Baymax. Double time on those jets, too.”

 

 

“ _Understood._ ” Baymax intoned. “ _But, for future incidents, may I suggest adding safety belts to my armour. Moving on objects traveling at high speeds without the proper precautions is dangerous -_ ”

 

 

A dark energy spear whizzed over top Hiro and Kairi's heads. Kairi could feel the top of her hair parting from the momentum of the weapon.

 

 

“Baymax! Go!” They both cried.

 

 

“ _Okay_.”

 

 

Engines firing up, and Kairi holding on with every last ounce of tenacity and strength in her body, Baymax rocketed up again, zipping through the air to avoid the constant stream of attacks coming from the Heartless. Ushi-Oni, like all it's brethren, was possessed by a single-minded focus to annihilate the Key Bearer, a fact that always made Kairi feel so special.

 

 

But, despite all odds, the trio was nearing the apex of the Radio Tower. Kairi could finally see the ominous black obelisk grafted to the point of the spire with her own eyes.

 

 

“Get us above the tip of Stone and then circle around, okay Baymax?” Kairi ordered.

 

 

“I take it you got a plan?” Hiro questioned. They would reach the zenith any second now.

 

 

“Yeah. A crazy one!” Came Kairi's response, delivered with a little laugh. It seemed that all her plans today were crazy. Or maybe just all her plans, period.

 

 

With a final aileron roll to avoid another barrage of dark energy weapons, Baymax did as Kairi bid, rising above the very tippy-top of the tower, before flying in a wide arc around the Blackheart Stone. Still under the constant pressure of the Guardian's attacks, Kairi managed to stand up on wobbly legs, re-summoning her Keyblade. Looking down, seeing the colossal monster harrying her and the thick blanket of fog choking the life out of the city, Kairi thought back to one of her first reactions to being in the city – how the Heartless were slowly destroying everything, ruining the lives of the people of this city.

 

 

Then, her eyes fell towards Hiro, the boy who had suffered so much pain and sorrow. Who's heart bared such deep and painful scars. The shadow of depression that had been cast on him by the Organization.

 

 

_I'll pull him out of the shadows. And I'll heal the scars upon his heart._

 

 

Solemnly swearing another oath to herself, Kairi took a deep breath before saying, “For Tadashi!”

 

 

She then leaped from Baymax' back, much to Hiro's shock, descending straight towards the Blackheart Stone. A brilliant spark of light flared within her heart, as she channeled that power up into her Keyblade, a grand blade of radiant energy erupting around Destiny's Embrace!

 

 

**[ _RADIANT FINISH: Holyra Calibur!_ ]**

 

 

A single slash was all it took for Kairi's light-blade to chop straight through the Stone, the fell column crumbling into black dust in the wake of the attack. Gravity took hold of the Keyblade Wielder, as she fell back to earth for the... well, she had lost count how many times she had plunged through the air today, but that was irrelevant. Kairi leaned into her descent, turning her body into a straight missile that surged through the air, heading right towards Ushi-Oni, like a shooting star with a brilliant scarlet tale. Hiro and Baymax were giving chase, but the Princess of Heart had already hit terminal velocity, staying just beyond their reach.

 

 

Seeing a perfect opportunity, the humongous Heartless continued it's salvo of darkness attacks, another wave of weapons flying towards Kairi. Undaunted, Kairi shielded herself by bringing the shining sabre of pure light up and spinning it like a pinwheel, scattering the weapons aside as they collided with her Keyblade. Kairi was fast approaching the Heartless, on an unstoppable collision course, so she pulled herself back, going spread eagle to cut into her velocity, before rearing her weapon back, much like a javelin thrower stepping up to the field.

 

 

“This city, these people... they don't belong to you!” Kairi declared, more for herself than anything else. No one was around to hear her, anyways. “I'll save them, I'll save all of them! There's nothing you can do to stop me!”

 

 

Simultaneously, Kairi threw her energized Keyblade like a spear, like a heat-seeking missile, dead on to Ushi-Oni, while the Heartless conjured another series of blackish weapons, before sending them towards the wielders of it's most dreaded weapon. The shining blade split through the torrent of dark energy like it was nothing, the weapon constructs bursting into blackish motes, with the Keyblade sailing on, unabated. The blade of light continued on it's perfect path, plunging deep into the center of the Heartless' torso, inflicting a grievous wound upon the demon! Cracks spread along the armour of the Guardian Heartless, as it froze in agony and anger, trembling it's hands raised in the air. But, despite the brilliant and blistering blade embedded in it's chest, the Ushi-Oni Heartless wasn't finished yet, and Kairi was still falling right towards the titan...

 

 

“One more time, Baymax! Let's go!”

 

 

Kairi turned, seeing Hiro and Baymax right near her, still flying straight ahead, even as her forward momentum shifted to a downward direction. The boy and his robot roared straight past her, Baymax rearing back his fist again, before firing the rocket-boosted gauntlet, aiming right towards the sword stuck in the Heartless' chest. Knuckle met blade, the impact and power of the thrusters driving the blade further and further in Ushi-Oni! Cataclysmic fissures spread across the body of the Heartless, as it thrashed about, while the stake was driven even further into it's... heart(?). Finally, the like light shining through dark storm clouds, the empowered Destiny's Embrace pierced through the backside of the Heartless, goring it through, fully, before both Keyblade and rocket fist punched straight through the body of the gargantuan fiend, a massive, gaping hole now carved through it's body!  
  


 

Rapidly, Ushi-Oni began to break down. It's body collapsed inwards towards the tunnel bored in it's chest, literally fall in on itself and, before long, the entire mass of the being disintegrating into a cloud of black mist that soon dissipated into the air.

 

 

The Organization had been driven off. The Heartless had been wiped out. The day was theirs, and so was victory. Kairi was content. So content, she almost forget that she was plummeting to her death. Almost.

 

 

She remembered when she sank beneath the chilling fog, bracing for inevitable impact.

 

 

Impact did come, but not against hard, unforgiving asphalt. Instead, Kairi felt her entire body sink into something warm and squishy. A wave of exhaustion crashed over the girl, but she still managed to force her eyes to open to see that she was nestled in the embrace of one Honey Lemon's gel cushions. Kairi thanked whatever or whoever was watching over her for showing her mercy, as Hiro and Baymax landed right next to her, with all three of them thankful to see their other friends and companions rush up to greet them.

 

 

The remaining members of Big Hero 6 grouped around Hiro, Honey Lemon pulling the young genius off of Baymax and into a bone-crushing hug, the slight girl apparently being much stronger than first blush would suggest.

 

 

“Oh, Hiro! I'm so glad you're okay!”

 

 

“Not bad, kid. You did pretty good out there.”

 

 

“Dude, that was awesome! Up top! Up top!”

 

 

Yuna and Rikku approached Kairi, each cousin offering a hand to the redhead. She was beyond grateful for the support, as she was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to get out of the gummy cushion under her own power. The exhaustion was overwhelming. She wasn't sure if was the emotional journey she had been on, her injuries, or... well, Kairi had a sneaking suspicion something else was affecting her. But that could come at another time.

 

 

“God damn, Red! That was pretty wild!” Rikku said, full of mirth, as Kairi clawed at the blonde's hand. “You got serious guts, you know that?”

 

 

“Well done, Kairi!” Yuna cheered with a warm smile. “I knew you could do it.” Both cousins pulled the Key Bearer into an upright position, Kairi barely feeling her legs beneath her.

 

 

“Yeah... thanks guys...” She smiled, wearily. Her head was pounding, and the wounds on her arms and hands were still aching and throbbing. Her mind drifted off for a second, imagining that a Cure spell, some tea, and a nap would do her a world of good. “I'm just glad we won and it's over and -” Yuna and Rikku let go of Kairi and, the moment they did, her legs wobbled and wriggled in place, before giving out completely. Turns out she was going to get that face-first meeting with the asphalt after all.

 

 

Someone seized onto Kairi's arm, catching her, before pushing her into a kneeling position. Looking up, Kairi met the neutral expression and steely gaze of Paine.

 

 

“Ah, Paine, I-”

 

 

“So, that was your answer, huh?” Paine silently considered the exhausted and wounded Key Bearer for a moment, before turning about face and walking away.

 

 

Kairi deflated from the encounter. Hoping against hope, she kind of expected her dramatic victory to earn her praise and adulation from the severe swordswoman, but alas, trust was hard to earn, but even harder to repair after being broken.

 

 

The next several minutes were all a blur to Kairi. Yuna dropped a heal on her, relieving some of the pain in her body, but the exhaustion still had her in it's clutches and her head was still pounding. Fred and Rikku both called for a celebration party, with everyone agreeing that they should at least share a nice, warm meal after the battle. Admittedly, her body was still failing her, but it did Kairi's spirit a world of good to see Hiro and his friends in such a good mood. Ridding this city of the Heartless, giving the young genius a bit of closure regarding his brother, Kairi felt good about herself and her efforts, seeing the fruits of her labour blossom before her.

 

 

_This... this is it. This is the answer. This is definitely what you're fighting for, Kairi. Not for Sora or yourself or anything else. But for the safety and happiness of others._

 

 

As the group of ten finally gathered up and departed, the deathly pall of fog that had blanketed the city for so long finally lifted, the sun beaming down on the city.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

While the six days spent on San Fransokyo certainly set them behind schedule, Kairi was in shape to do much of anything, so the Gullwings figured a day or so of convalescence would be just was the Key Bearer needed. Taking advantage of his friends staying for just a while longer, Hiro invited everyone to the coffee shop his aunt owned, a quaint little place built into a street corner called the Lucky Cat Cafe, to celebrate their accomplishments and see the four off-worlders away. Of course, Hiro did so under express orders not to mention anything about Big Hero 6 or the Keyblade or Heartless or anything about their escapades in front of his aunt.

 

 

To Cass Hamada, her nephew was just your average, typical, everyday college-bound fourteen year-old super genius.

 

 

Sticking around in the city for an extra day had another benefit, too, as Kairi and the others got to witness the burgeoning revival of San Fransokyo itself. With the fog dispelled and the Heartless gone, people were slowly beginning to venture back into their world, reclaim their home and the lives that had been stolen from them. Kairi was certain it was still a long road ahead for the citizens, to normalize everything and repair all the damage, but it was progress all the same, and everyone was elated they could make a difference and affect positive change.

 

 

And so, ten humans and one robot gathered around several tables pushed adjacently, happily chatting while munching on snacks, downing copious amounts of coffee and tea and other assorted beverages Aunt Cass was all too happy to supply. The group pretty much had the run of the place, with only a few other customers occasionally filing in and out, looking for quick bite to perk them up or just sharing news regarding the recovering city. Kairi was lost in deep thought, while Rikku was badgering everyone for notes on how they built their tech, solely focused on hunting down the remaining tapioca pearls in her bubble tea (holy heaven, how she missed bubble tea! How she missed just bumming around a cafe with her friends without a care in the world), when Hiro stood up and pointed to the television monitor set up on the cafe bar.

 

 

“Uh, guys, might wanna check this out.” The entire time they had been in the cafe, Aunt Cass had the TV set to a local news channel, the anchors and reporters providing updates on the city throughout the day.

 

 

Now, however, the image on the screen was a staticy, unfocused video of a series of colorful, but otherwise indistinct, humanoid figures fighting the Heartless. It was them, during the initial skirmish the day prior.

 

 

“ _Breaking news here at Channel 7! We have just received video and images of some kind of... super heroic fighting force doing battle with the shadows that attacked the city, what we here at Channel 7 are calling 'The Darklings'._ ”

 

 

Everyone watched in silence as the images on the screen transitioned from one to the next, showing the ground team do battle with Ushi-Oni and it's forces. Every now and again, Kairi, Hiro, and Baymax would pop up. Fortunately, between the fog and the frantic nature of the action, everyone's faces and identities were obscured and hidden.

 

 

“ _They all appear to be wearing perfectly coordinated outfits, each with their own distinct colour, which this anchor deeply appreciates._ ” Kairi couldn't help but roll her eyes. Of course that colour thing would come up again. “ _And, as we are the first to officially report on them, Channel 7 has exclusive naming rights to this group.... Big Hero 10!_ ”

 

 

“Big Hero 10!?” Fred repeated, incredulous.

 

 

“Big Hero 10...” GoGo said, also incredulous, but for completely different reasons.

 

 

“ _We don't know who these people are, why they chose to take up arms, or if they will return, but, from the bottom my heart, Big Hero 10... I thank you for your service. This is Duff Blunder, for Channel 7 News, signing off._ ”

 

 

 

“Well, isn't that something?” Hiro murmured after the news report finished up, everyone going back to chatting among themselves. “Shame Big Hero was just a one time thing.”

 

 

“Actually, Hiro, I think you guys should keep up with the super heroics.” Kairi said, drawing all eyes at the table to her. Hiro and GoGo had fairly wild reactions, in particular. “Well, I mean... you guys did a lot of good, saving the city, right? And, much as I would like it not to be true, there's always going to be people like the Organization around, hurting others and making innocents suffer. But, the other side of that is, people will always need heroes to save them.” Kairi gave a warm smile to her new group of friends. “And you're hearts are in the right place, too. I think... I know you guys'll be great at it!”

 

 

In response to Kairi's words of affirmation, both Hiro and Fred leaned in towards GoGo, looking at the snarky young with expectantly.

 

 

With a reluctant sigh, GoGo slumped her shoulders and relented. “We'll talk about it, okay? We'll talk about it...”

 

 

Fred almost spilled the beans then and there, standing up on the tabletop and loudly cheering, before being roundly shushed down by the others

 

 

“That being said, I think it's time for us to getting going.” Kairi said, pushing herself away from the table. “We still have a lot of work to do out there.” Departing wasn't easy, but it had to be done. And it seemed everyone else agreed with Kairi's sentiment.

 

 

“Well, this is goodbye for now, Baymax...” Rikku sniffled, as she threw her arms around the plushy health care robot. “You take care of yourself. I really wish there was someway we could keep in touch...”

 

 

Something appeared on the screen of Baymax' chest; it looked like the call display for a cell phone. “ _My systems include telecommunication technology. To allow me to stay in contact with. My patients._ ” Rikku gasped in pleasure and wonderment at this development, quickly fishing out a phone – or some equivalent thereof – and tapping it against Baymax' chest.

 

 

The blonde squealed so loud and high-pitched, Kairi thought for a second the glass windows of the cafe were going to crack.

 

 

“Oh my god! YAS! Yunie! Look look look! I'm friends with a robot! It's a dream come true!”

 

 

“Yes, Rikku, that's very nice...” Yuna replied to her cousin, in a tone usually reserved for weary mothers addressing their hyperactive eight year-olds.

 

 

“Much as I would like you guys to stay, I get it, I get it.” Hiro moved to Kairi, awkwardly avoiding eye contact with the girl. “Just... uh... take care of yourself, and you know... um...”

 

 

“If you're worried about us never coming back, don't.” Kairi interrupted, earning a shy smile from the scrawny youth. “Don't know how long it will be, but when this is finish, when the Organization is defeated, I want to bring Sora here.” She wasn't sure how many worlds she would visit that Sora never had, but what Kairi did know is that she wanted to take the boy she loved and show him the sights and people she had met. “I'm pretty sure you guys would get along famously with him. So, it's not 'goodbye', just 'so long for now, Hiro'.”

 

 

“Yeah, see you soon, Kairi...”

 

 

“And, remember,” Kairi turned to face Baymax, who Rikku was still clinging to. Yuna and Wasabi were doing there best trying to pry the spritely blonde from the robot. “You still have a lot of people who care for you and depend on you. But Tadashi...”

 

 

“Tadahsi is here.” Hiro placed a finger over his heart, nodding solemnly and sadly. “Tadashi is here, and Sora, wherever he is, Sora will be there, too. You remember that.”

 

 

“Yeah...” Before today, Kairi wasn't sure what she would do if she were in Hiro's shoes. If the Organization had gone to extremes and killed Sora. What would she do then, with no chance of bringing him back? Would she sink into depression and sorrow? Lash out in anger? Breakdown and do the unthinkable, finding nothing else worth living for, and taking her own life? But she knew better, now.

 

 

_Sora is one person. One important person, but still only one. There are so many others out there hurting, suffering in need of salvation. Even if I couldn't save Sora, I would fight for them. I want to save them. I want to heal the scars on the hearts of others..._

 

 

“And, Baymax,” Kairi addressed the robot, who was now free of any clinging blonde fangirls. “You take care of Hiro, too. You guys are a good match for each other, and I think you can do a lot of good for this world.” After a beat, Kairi quickly added with a slight bow. “Oh, and thank you for all your help. For helping me and Hiro with our issues...”

 

 

“ _Assisting others through their mental trauma is a part of my health care protocol._ ” Baymax intoned. “ _But you are welcome. Kairi._ ” Baymax then lifted a chubby fist, presenting it to the redhead. A confused Kairi looked around for an explanation. “ _It's a fist bimp. Hiro taught me. They are used to commemorate celebration. Success. And joy._ ”

 

 

“You taught Baymax how to fist bump?” Kairi said through a series of giggles. Hiro gave a bashful shrug, but Kairi motioned for him to join in. Together, the Key Bearer, the genius, and the robot all softly pressed their fists together in a triangular formation.

 

 

As soon as the hands broke apart, Baymax and Hiro raised there's into the air, the young boy flicking his fingers about and making explosion sounds with his mouth, while Baymax wiggled his chubby digits stiffly and ringed out, “ _Ba-da-la-da-da._ ” Not wanting to be left out, Kairi tried to mimic Hiro, but her embarrassment snagged the sounds in her throat, making her explosion noises sound more like a wet raspberry.

 

 

Waves of laughter followed Kairi's pitiful attempt, as everyone said their final goodbyes, Kairi and the Gullwings leaving the shop and off to find a private, quiet place they could beam back to the ship from. It was far from a perfect mission – it was honestly a really bad performance for the Key Bearer, all things considered – but it ended well, and that's what Kairi was focusing on. That warm feeling of pride, joy, happiness, and contentment that was blooming in her heart. Another Stone down, another world saved, another level of clarity for herself earned.

 

 

“Say, girls, tell me if I'm crazy or whatever,” Rikku started up, casually chatting as her other three companions checked for alleyways or cover to serve as a warp point. “But d'ya think I got a shot with Hiro? Not right now now, but when all is said and done and stuff.”

 

 

“Rikku, is hooking up with guys all you think about?” Paine groused, not even bothering to face the blonde while she spoke.

 

 

“Well, other times I think about hooking up with girls...” Rikku whined, before snapping back to chirpy. “But I'm serious! He's super smart, pretty cute, and apparently his brother was a total hottie! That scores pretty high on my personal lover index.”

 

 

“Rikku...” Kairi was already cursing herself for engaging with the Al-Bhed girl's flight of fancy, but she figured she was doing a service to a friend. “Hiro's pretty young, so whatever you do, I don't want him to end up getting hurt – wait. I guess there isn't that much of an age difference between you two.”

 

 

“How so?”

 

 

“Well, you're fifteen right? We're the same age. Only a one year difference.”

 

 

Rikku's face scrunched up in confusion. “Uh, don't know why you think that Red. I'm seventeen.” That little fact floored Kairi, as she came to a grinding halt.

 

 

“Se-seventeen!? You're two years older than me!? How? How!?” Rikku only offered a shrug, as Kairi clutched at her forehead. “You're like the most immature and irritating person I've ever met. How can you be older than me?”

 

 

“People often say there's no correlation between age and maturity.” Yuna brought forth. Kairi just shook her head in dismay, not understanding anything. Not really wanting to continue this conversation.

 

 

She had one last thing left to do before they left San Fransokyo.

 

 

“Hey, Paine!” Kairi jogged forth, the dark and dour warrior having pulled ahead of the others while they had their little conversation. Paine barely paid her any attention, as she approached and spoke. “Uh... I know I screwed up, and I know you don't want to hear anything from me about how I'm sorry and stuff, but I need to get this off my chest. Please bear with me...

 

 

“I don't think I'm the person who can say if what Sora did – sacrificing himself for me, over and over again – is right or wrong. That's not my place. But... even if he acted with best intentions, giving himself up to the Organization caused a lot of pain. Hurt a lot of people. It hurt me. I'm still suffering because of his choice. Knowing that I was just something used to hurt him. Knowing we're in a worse place with me than with him. Knowing that I... almost did the same thing as he did, choosing one person above all, selfishly pushing my pain onto others. That I almost did that without even realizing... I want to break that cycle. I don't want to sacrifice myself or anything else for Sora! We'll save him, the four of us, but we'll do it the right way. Our way.

 

 

“No one else is going to get hurt because of me. I promise. I swear!”

 

 

This actually got Paine to about face and examine the redhead, with her lips drawn into hard lines, eyes laser-focused and unblinking. Her legs were set to a wide stance, feet firmly planted on the ground, shoulders rounded, and hands balled into fists. Her breathing was even and controlled – hell, everything about her seemed to be controlled, despite the earnestness of her words.

 

  
A tense moment passed, the two young woman staring at each other, before Paine slightly – almost unnoticeable – inclined her head in Kairi's direction.

 

 

“You've made plenty of mistakes so far, small and large. But at least you know when you've screwed up, and you always try and make amends when you do.” For a second, Kairi thought she saw a brief smile form on the white-haired woman's lips. No. No way. She must have been imaging things.

 

 

“I'll hold you to those words, by the way. Don't let us down again.”

 

 

“Right. I won't.”

 

 

Soon after, the quartet of adventurer's departed from the now liberated city. It was a bumpy road, but Kairi felt like they all came out on the other side ahead. But, despite the victories, the new friends, the realization of self, and her repaired relationship with Paine, she knew there were more Stones to find, more battles to be fought, more people in need of a hero.

 

 

But until, then, Kairi had other questions she wanted to answer during the interim. Threads of a mystery that she had learned that needed to be pulled, that needed to be unraveled, so that the truth could be brought to life.

 

 

Just who, exactly, was Roxas?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's over. It's finally finished. It was five chapters and ended with a 22,000 word chapter, but San Fransokyo is finally finished!
> 
>  
> 
> So there has been a debate within fandom circles post-III about whether it's okay or not for Kairi not to be physically strong, as she is “strong of heart”. I don't necessarily disagree with the arguments presented, but I do take issue with some of the logic used for the pro “strong of heart” side.
> 
>  
> 
> -One: I don't think the KH creative team cares enough about Kairi to actually give her a role like this or put this amount of consideration into her character.  
> -Two: If they actually care about her, then they should have never given her a Keyblade, as that places expectations on her both in universe and out.  
> -Three: If they actually care about her, then they need to stop putting her in situations where she gets kidnapped and/or killed. All that does is hurt the perception of her for those who are not already die hard fans.  
> -Four: They do an incredibly poor job of presenting her as being emotionally or mentally tough. Kairi never gets enough focus or insight on her and her struggles against any turmoil or anything.  
> -Five: I find the “strong of heart” argument reeks of sexism, as no one uses this argument for any other character when they fail or struggle. Only the Princess. The girl. The victim. Only Kairi.  
> -Six: The argument of being strong mentally or physically is a false dichotomy created by fans and a false binary choice. A character can be both. A character should be both. We as fans should want everything for the characters we love. Accepting that Kairi is only ever going to be “strong of heart” is a defeatist attitude.  
> -Seven: I have come to despise the term “strong of heart” in recent months and roll my eyes whenever I see this argument pop up.
> 
>  
> 
> So this arc has been my attempt at addressing that by... actually showcasing Kairi's struggles with herself and some of the less desirable parts of her heart. Highlighting what traits of her make her a noble and worthy hero (her empathy, her passion, and her drive to help others) while also showcasing some faults she has to wrestle with (her obsession, her self-loathing, and her cowardice). Like I've said before, the main Kingdom Hearts characters are usually a bit too static, particularly on the Disney worlds where they just play second fiddle to the world plot, but my goal here is to use the Disney worlds as a vehicle to deliver Kairi's arc and development.
> 
>  
> 
> Otherwise... I do like how this turned out. I wanted to make something a bit more unique with the fight scene and hit certain notes regarding where Kairi is and how she's progressing. I think I've accomplished all that, but, please, tell me what you think. How much did you think I succeeded or failed? Don't be afraid to let me know and have your opinion be heard.
> 
>  
> 
> **Power Levels**
> 
>  
> 
> Kairi has pushed and struggled her way forward and is now equivalent to Sora by the time he finishes the Pride Lands in the first world loop. She still has the advantage of being properly trained and being a bit more creative with her techniques.
> 
>  
> 
> The Gullwings are still roughly the same as they were at the start of this journey.
> 
>  
> 
> Riku, having conquered Lingering Will and taken back his heart, has achieved a power yet to unheard of. Riku is stronger than he ever has been, stronger than his self in II, Dream Drop, or III, and equivalent to Sora by the end of the game. Such is the power of a fully realized Key Bearer.
> 
>  
> 
> And now we'll leave San Fransokyo behind and head to our next world. What will it be? What's next on Kairi's journey? What of Sora, Namine, and Riku? And this mystery with Roxas? Please feel free to drop a line and share your thoughts and feelings. All input and commentary is welcomed!
> 
>  
> 
> Until next time, let the light guide your path forward.


	18. This Is My Path

**She Will Light The Way  
Chapter Eighteen  
This Is My Path**   
  


 

Chewing on the cap of her felt marker, Kairi looked at her work and considered her next move, before the high-pitched tones of Rikku entered her ear.

 

 

“I'm tellin' ya, girls, Red's flipped her lid!” The blonde chirped, entering the training room with Yuna and Paine in tow. The energetic chemist was practically dragging her companions into the room. “She's one ball of red yarn away from being that conspiracy theory meme!”

 

 

Yuna shook her head at her cousin's theatrical description “Rikku I'm sure it's not as bad as you -” Then, the brunette gunslinger caught sight of what Kairi had done to the wall. “Huh.”

 

 

“See! See!” Rikku siddled up into Kairi's periphery, pointing a finger at her. “Girl, why you ackin' so cray-cray?”

 

 

“You're the one who's ackin' cray-cray!” Kairi snapped, defensively, before reeling back. Acting like that probably wasn't helping her case. Kairi pivoted from Rikku, going back to gnawing on the hunk of plastic.

 

 

Paine was much more straightforward in her reaction and her ask, as she was want to do.

 

 

“Explain yourself.”

 

 

Kairi slowly turned about to face the others, still munching on the cap. “I'd rather not...” she mumbled through the bit of plastic, but eventually yielded to the trio of inquisitive stares from the Gullwings. “Look, there are some things Luxord said that I need figured out. If I have the day to myself, better put that time to good use, right?”

 

 

The quartet of adventurers had only departed from San Fransokyo yesterday, but the questions Kairi was left with had been niggling at her ever since they beamed out of the city. Not to mention, with her injuries, it was decided there would be no training for the time being, so Kairi decided to be proactive regarding the mysteries about the boy named Roxas. Proactive, here, meaning writing that name of the wall of the training room in a marker and then removing the X, printing R, O, A, and S underneath it, trying to unscramble the four words into something more meaningful. That work was scrawled plainly beneath the two sets of bold letters, but so was a serious of angry scribbles, indicating the Princess hadn't conquered this puzzle quite yet.

 

 

“Luxord said two things, once during each encounter with him.” Kairi recounted to her teammates. While they were all present for the first battle with the Nobody, Kairi herself hadn't registered it during the chaos of it all, so it was highly likely none of the Gullwings had either. “There's this boy named Roxas, and he is both a Key Bearer and a member of the Organization. And, I remembered, the names of the Organization are anagrams of their true names with an 'X' added, so I've been trying to come up with the name of Roxas' Somebody.”

 

 

“And you couldn't have just done this on a piece of paper? Or in your head?” Paine asked. Kairi thought it was more than a little funny that was the first question in response to her flight of fancy.

 

 

“I couldn't find any. It's not like this ship is incredibly well furbished.” Their little Gummi Ship didn't have any office space, and the only book on the entire ship was Sora's journal, and there was no way Kairi would let anyone deface that precious tome. “As for doing it mentally, I tried, but got really frustrated. I feel better having it all spelled out in front of me. Having a visual aid.” Kairi motioned to her writings, though she thought she overheard Rikku refer to it as a “wall of madness”. She let the comment pass without issue. “So, I figured we could just use some kind of cleaning spell when I'm done. There _is_ a cleaning spell, right Yuna?”

 

 

“If there is, I've never heard of it.” Was Yuna's sheepish reply. Quietly, Rikku slipped by her cousin and went to stand beside Kairi, the blonde astutely studying her work.

 

 

“Oh...”

 

 

“And also, why this? Why now?” Yuna asked, ignoring the mess Kairi had made of the training room wall. “You've never had much concern for the Organization outside of them being the enemy, why are you so deadset on learning the identity of one of them.” Kairi capped the pen, replacing the cap for her lip for something to chew on.

 

 

There was an impetus to her interest in Roxas, beyond what Luxord had revealed, but she had been hesitant to share the information. It sounded so strange and crazy, she hardly believed it herself. Then again, the four of them had been through so much, seen so many crazy things, maybe getting over her embarrassment would be for the best.

 

 

“Way back when, before this all started, back when I was still on the islands, I spoke with someone who wasn't physically there. My heart – our hearts spoke.” It felt so strange reliving all this, to Kairi, it felt like it had happened an age ago, when it was probably closer to two months. Even then, even despite the heady passage of time, she could still picture her and Selphie standing on the shore while all of this happened. “It was a boy around my age on Twilight Town, with blond hair and blue eyes. His name was Roxas. He said 'I know you' and... and... 'You're that girl he likes'.” The Gullwings didn't need further explanation as to who “he was”, especially considering the luminescent blush on Kairi's face. “And then, after this episode, I remembered Sora. I remembered everything that had happened.”

 

 

Kairi was still kicking herself that she somehow had forgotten Sora. Riku. The Keyblade. Everything. Stranger still was that everyone else had forgotten, then remembered all the same, but then acted as if nothing was amiss. Kairi was the only one who could recall having forgotten the boys. Stranger and stranger still...

 

 

Quickly, Kairi finished up her story. “So, whoever this Roxas is, I think he has some kind of connection to me and Sora. He's different from the other Nobodies.”

 

 

Yuna and Paine didn't question any element of Kairi's story, much to her relief, just accepted it as is. However, the redhead suddenly fell silent when a possibility began to dawn upon her.

 

 

Meanwhile, Rikku was still studying Kairi's attempt at deciphering Roxas' name. Scatterbrained and flighty she maybe, Rikku still prided herself with her intellect and curiosity. A puzzle like this was too difficult to resist.

 

 

“Well, it's only a four letter anagram. It's not too hard to brute force.” The gadgetry genius mused aloud, using her finger to draw the four letters in the air. “Let's see... Roas. Raos. Oras. Srao. Asor. Osar. Aros. Rosa – whoops, that's a girl's name, really – Uh... Sroa, Soar, Saro, S-”

 

 

“Sora.” Kairi blurted out. “Roxas is Sora's Nobody.”

 

 

Saying it aloud... was something else. But the moment Kairi uttered the names of her childhood friend and this mystery boy in the same breath, she felt a thrumming in her heart. Difficult as this understanding was to grasp, Kairi knew this was the correct one.

 

 

But, a question still remained.

 

 

“How?” Paine was the one to verbalize said question. “How does Sora have a Nobody. How can they exist in the same space?”

 

 

“Hollow Bastion.” The pieces were flying into place rapidly now. Kairi delved into her memories again, this time being a much less pleasant event. “When my heart was still within Sora's body, he used a Keyblade to remove it, but turned into a Heartless as a result. Then I pulled his heart out of the darkness, restoring him. That must have been how Roxas was born.”

 

 

Kairi had forgotten her place, realizing the Gullwings may not know every single event that had conspired a year-and-a-half ago, but once more, they took everything she said in stride.

 

 

“All that being true – and it does makes sense; especially why this Roxas character has a Keyblade – are you really okay with this?” Paine question, arms crossed as she studied Kairi. “Whether if this guy is one of the remaining Organization members or if he comes back as a Silhouette, are you prepared to fight him?”

 

 

“No! Absolutely not!” Kairi fired back, quickly. Perhaps a little too quickly, and with poor word choices, given the concern writ large on the faces of the Spiran trios. “Sorry, sorry. What I meant was, I don't think Roxas is an enemy. Luxord said he was 'long-lost'. I don't think he's with the Organization.” Then, with a shy smile, she added, “Besides, Roxas is Sora's Nobody; I can't imagine any part of Sora being bad or evil.” Shyness was replaced by the redhead's boundless spirit, as she perked up. “Like I said, me and Roxas have some kind of connection, so I think he's still out there, somewhere. And I hope we get the chance to meet in person. I hope he and Sora get a chance to meet, too.”

 

 

“I hope so, too, Kairi.” Yuna returned. “And I trust those feelings in your heart. You know Sora better than anyone, so if you say Roxas would be a good person, then I believe you.”

 

 

“Well, I guess that settles that.” Paine declared, forcibly taking the felt pen away from the Key Bearer. “Mystery solved, and, if you're done defacing the ship -”

 

 

“Actually, there's one other thing I want to talk to you guys, with.” Kairi said, forking over the mangled, partially wet cap, as well.

 

 

“What? Wanna scribble on the exterior of the _Kelvin_ , too?” Rikku joked, playfully.

 

 

“That's not it's name. The ship doesn't have a name.” Kairi shot at a motormouth pace, before getting back on topic. “All this time, we've been working on the assumption the Organization's goal is to create a false Kingdom Hearts from the hearts freed by slain Heartless. But... did you notice how much Luxord seemed to enjoy being a Nobody? He kept going on and on about being a 'superior being' and whatnot. In fact, none of the Nobodies seem to be upset at not having hearts. None of them seem desperate to regain their hearts.”

 

 

A chorus of agreement rose from the Gullwings. Everything Kairi said scanned, particularly the part about the Nobodies having an absence of remorse or despondency. Wouldn't beings without hearts, seeking to regain hearts, show a little more anxiety regarding their decade long quest to recover said hearts?

 

 

“But then, what are they after?” Yuna questioned.

 

 

“Luxord claimed their using Kingdom Hearts to gain more power. To become stronger. Stronger than anything else in existence. But that doesn't sit right either...”

 

 

“Not when a humanoid Nobody is already stronger than anything in the Realm of Light, other than a Key Bearer.” Paine finished for Kairi, picking up on where the younger girl was going. “And with Sora captured, there's only two active Wielders around. Three if this Roxas theory holds water. What would they have to be threatened by?”

 

 

“Well, we've encountered our share of megalomaniacs before, Paine.” Rikku pointed out. “And they always mindlessly grab at power. They don't need a reason for what they do.”

 

 

“Still, this isn't sitting right...” Kairi murmured, eyes drifting downward in thought. “I don't know what, but there's more to this than we're seeing here. Roxas. The Organization. The Keyblade. Kingdom Hearts. There's a bigger picture involving all of that...”

 

 

A brief discussion broke out between the four young women, but nothing of consequence was achieved. Just spitballing and theorizing. Yuna called the session to an end as nothing was coming of it, but Kairi was certain these questions would linger with her for some time to come.

 

 

But, before they departed from the graffitied training room, Paine mentioned one last thing. The white-haired woman quickly appraised Kairi of her health, the red head happily informing her team that she was on the mend and would be right as rain soon enough.

 

 

“Good. We plan to start your training again, tomorrow.” Was Paine's taciturn reply. “You've made some decent progress so far, but the battles are getting tougher, so we're going to step things up to the next degree. Teach you some more advanced techniques.” Kairi was practically brimming at the mention of learning something new. She was really getting into the habit of training and was actually becoming interesting in learning and mastering anything the Gullwings put before her.

 

 

Yuna then added, “Also, we don't know how this will go, but we're going to try and see what we can do about improving your talent with your Light.” Kairi was less thrilled about that fact, an expression Yuna quickly read. “I know you've been frustrated by your lack of understanding and control, but it is a valuable asset for us and the mission. Not to mention, it seems every time you use it in those big bursts, you end up absolutely exhausted.”

 

 

Kairi recounted all her recent uses of her Light, all the big bursts that she used to finish the fight, and had to agree with Yuna's assessment. While it would be easy to chalk up her fainting on Beast's Castle and San Fransokyo due to the events of the day and the natures of the fights with Xaldin and Luxord, it didn't excuse the wooziness she felt after Twilight Town, Olympus, Atlantic, or the Land of Dragons. Much as it continued to elude her, her Light was her strongest weapon. It needed to be trained, understood, and mastered.

 

 

“I guess... I'll do my best.” Kairi said, despite her misgivings.

 

 

“That's all we ask of you, Kairi.” Yuna returned with a smile. “Now, go and relax for now. Rikku and I are on dinner duty tonight, so you can just focus on recovering for today and nothing else.”

 

 

Kairi obeyed, quietly puttering off elsewhere to try and find something to occupy her time with. But, her brain was now alight with all the truths and mysteries she had uncovered in the past little while. What started as a simple quest to destroy some Stones and save her friend seemed to be ballooning beyond her control into something bigger than she could image. Kairi found herself standing in the eye of the storm, and she knew it wasn't going to pass anytime soon.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

The sweltering desert sun beat down upon the pair of black cloaks, every last drop of sunlight being absorbed into the dark garments. Of course, that was only a concern for one of them as, Sora was beginning to learn, Nobodies did not sweat.

 

 

Sora wiped the sweat off his brow, trudging through the Agrabah sand behind Saix. Another day. Another mission. Another familiar world pulling at Sora's heart. Another faint glimmer of hope he knew would only lead to more problems.

 

 

_You made your bed Sora, now you have to lie in it..._

 

 

“Hurry up!” Saix barked from up ahead. “You're dawdling too much.”

 

 

“Give me a break!” Sora talked back, panting heavily. “We've been marching through the desert for hours, without a drop of water, and I'm sweating up a storm here!”

 

 

“Quit complaining and get back to work.” The blue-haired Nobody snarled, coldly.

 

 

Sora suppressed a groan, slowly wading through the dunes to catch up with his captor, bemoaning the fact that he didn't know what was worse – Saix' barbs and threats or Xigbar's false smiles and hollow sarcasm.

 

 

Up in the distance, shimmering against the super-heated panorama of the desert, Sora could spy an ominous looking black spire sticking out of the sands. He immediately passed it off as being a mirage, but then noticed that Saix was staring at it, too.

 

 

“What is that thing, anyway?” Sora mused, idly, forgetting who he was with.

 

 

“No questions.” Was Saix's reply, fell yellow eyes glaring at the boy with intent to harm. Sora glared back, sick of the abuse he had been suffering. Not to mention, Saix' reaction gave him enough reason to believe whatever that tower was, it was important.

 

 

“The only thing you have to concern yourself with is slaying Heartless.” Saix pointed off in the distant, halfway between where they were and where the black pillar was. Heartless appeared in trademarked bursts of blackness. “That's your only purpose in life now. Our little weapon to do as we please.” Sora hated how neutral the scarred Nobody could be when he dressed him down like this. “Kill off those worthless emotions and idle curiosity you possess. After all, they only ever lead you down the path of ruin.”

 

 

Sora reared up and leaned in to face his tormentor. “That's not true! That's -”

 

 

“Kairi. Riku. Your closest friends, lost to the darkness by your rash and selfish choices.” Sora's fire was quickly stamped out by the Nobody and his disparaging words. The Organization had perfected this tactic; bringing up Sora's failures and losses to quell any resistance. Use the pain and guilt in his heart against him. “And there are even more people you've hurt. People you don't even know of or can remember. A selfish child like you is not befitting the title of 'hero'. So kill your heart and become the weapon we need and desire.”

 

 

Sora hung his head in shame, doing his best to fight back tears, pulling the hood up to cover his face even more, before summoning Kingdom Key and moving to face the Heartless. He hated himself for this. For all of this. Helping monsters like the Organization was bad enough, but being reminded of his failures. Of what had happened to Kairi and Riku. Especially Kairi. All because of one stupid mistake on his part.

 

 

The captive Key Bearer approached the Heartless – a gaggle of Bandits and Shadows – but before he could take up arms, before the Heartless could charge at him, blistering energy rained down on the fiends, coming from out of nowhere! Spears of rippling darkness spiked into the ground all around the shadowy beings, before detonating in a wave of searing energy! Sora was thankful he had stopped just outside the blast radius of the attack, feeling the heat cascade over him, followed by a plume of sand kicked up from the explosion. The boy shielded his eyes, as he could hear Saix tromp across the sand from behind him.

 

 

By the time the wave of sand died down, Saix now standing menacingly at Sora's side, the Heartless were gone. In their place was a being clad in armour, wrapped in the tattered remains of a black cloak. Fearsome and intimidating, onyx and navy plate trimmed with gleaming silver shone sharply in the Arabian sun, with jagged edges running all around the suit. The newly arrived figured had their identity obscured by a full helmet, complete with an opaque glass visor, that had a draconic quality to it, complete with curving horns framing the sides of the helmet.

 

 

As the armoured sentinel stood to full height, squaring off against Saix and Sora, the boy could see they were carrying a Keyblade in their right hand.

 

 

“Sora, I-”

 

 

Two words. Two words were all the enigmatic Key Bearer could say before Sora his hood being snagged by Saix, his body thrown backwards into the swirling mass of a Dark Corridor.

 

 

Saix imposed his figure between Sora and the Bearer, as the abyss began to shut around the boy.

 

 

“Hey, wait! Hold on!” Sora called out in vain, fighting against the torrid mass of constraining shadows. “Who are you? How do you know my name?”

 

 

“Sora, I will save you, just you wait!” The figure responded, just as Saix charged at him. The armoured figure sidestepped the Nobody, before harrying him with a series of lightning-fast slashes. “And you're not alone in this! Your friends are out there! Don't give up hope!”

 

 

Sora looked at the dark knight with wide-eyed wonderment, blue eyes calling out to the stranger, just as the Corridor slammed shut, sending him back to the Organization's stronghold, leaving the Key Bearer and Saix to duel in the desert.

 

 

The scarred Nobody gave a cold and condescending look to the warrior. “It looks as if Sora has slipped through your fingers yet again.” The two had begun circling one another, measuring and anticipating the other. “New Keyblade. New Armour. Same old failure.”

 

 

“Killing you will make for a fine consolation prize.” Riku returned, drawing himself up into a fighting stance, Way to Dawn held above his head at a high angle, free hand open and lower towards his thigh, with his legs spread out, left leg straight and right leg bent slightly.

 

 

“You're welcome to try, failure.”

 

 

Saix went to manifest his weapon, but Riku quickly countered, dragging the tip of Way to Dawn through the sand, unleashing a wave of darkness energy rising up from the earth. The Nobody halted the summoning of his armament and went to defend himself, planting his feet into the ground and crossing his arms over his chest. Saix was wholly confident he could tank the blow.

 

 

That confidence was shattered to pieces when the furious wave slammed into the Nobody, sending the large, bestial man flying off into the distance, another wave of sand erupting into the air. A rare flash of emotion crossed Saix' face – a look of shocked disbelief – as he clambered out of the blazing hot sand, only to find Riku was charging right for him, Keyblade reared back. With a wide arcing slash from the right, Riku struck, only to be blocked by a muscular forearm from Saix, locking with him at the wrist. The Key Bearer's follow-up punch was also caught, trapped and clenched with Saix' own hand.

 

 

“When did you become so strong...?” Saix seethed, as the two men struggled within each other's grasps, trying to overpower their foe.

 

 

“I've always been strong.” Riku said, voice even, bold, and fearless, reverberating within the metal confines of his helmet. “I've just cast aside the shackles that were holding me back. Now, I am walking the path that I have chosen. Me and no one else.”

 

 

A low roared trilled in Riku's throat, as he seized onto Saix and snapped his hips to the side, circle throwing the Nobody back into the sand. Quickly, the darkness user followed up with his signature Dark Firaga, assailing his bitter foe with the hellish flame. Saix swept the blast of black fire aside with his arms, remnants of the fire licking at the sleeves of his cloak. The Nobody then charged again, growling fiercely and baring sharp and pointed canines, only to be thwarted by Riku's nimble reflexes. Way to Dawn flashed through the sunny glare, thrusting forward and biting into the Nobody, piercing through cloak and flesh and drawing black blood.

 

 

Saix staggered and grunted, as Riku took his Keyblade in both hands, driving his blade further into the sternum of the scarred berserker. The dark Key Bearer attempted to push the advantage by literally pushing his enemy backwards, but couldn't find purchase in the loose silt beneath his feet. Saix pulled himself off the blade, twisting away, while furiously clawing at Riku's face. The blows battered against the dark armour, the warrior barely reacting to the strikes.

 

 

“Your struggling is futile, boy.” Saix finally manifested his claymore, taking a wild, one-handed swing. Riku dodged out of the way deftly, darting around and trying to work his way back into melee with Saix. The reach of the Nobody's weapon gave him the edge on defence for the time being. “You fate has been preordained. You will fall to the Organization. You will all fall...” Saix' normally cold and neutral expressions were becoming more animalistic and feral as the battle dragged on.

 

 

“Funny. Ansem said something similar. Then he died.” Another wild swing lashed out towards Riku's chest, the boy calling upon a shield of shimmering darkness to absorb the blow. The spiked head of the claymore smashed into the barrier, the latter not budging an inch. “Let's see if a similar 'fate' awaits you!”

 

 

The shadows that made up Riku's barrier began to boil and bubble, bending and lashing around the weapon, the shield transforming into a tangle of shadowy tethers that had seized the claymore, then winding the other end back around Riku's arms. With a might pull, and Way to Dawn slicing at Saix' arm for good measure, Riku tore the weapon from the grasp of the scarred Nobody, leaving him utterly defenceless. The claymore tumbled into the dunes, while Riku punched forward with the mass of tethers still consuming his left arm. The clump of shadows spilled forward, lengthening and stiffening into an array of black blades.

 

 

The flurry of darkness sabres skittered off the flesh of the Nobody, driving him back even further, as Riku slammed into his shoulder with another blow from his Keyblade. Saix was sent reeling, falling to one knee, before Riku smashed him in the face with brutal, metal-clad snap kick. The Nobody finally went down, collapsing onto the white hot sand, Riku standing over him, preparing to deliver the finishing blow.

 

 

But, he hesitated, when he saw a rather triumphant smirk plastered on the Nobody's face. “What are you so pleased about? Still believe that your destiny garbage will save you?”

 

 

Riku then noticed he was standing in the shadow of... something. Looking up, he found both he and Saix were near an ominous black obelisk, brimming with energy, as a terrible shadow was forming above it's peak.

 

 

“You were always so blind to the wider world around you...” Saix jeered. “Focused on one thing to the detriment of everything else.” A swirling abyss began to form beneath the Nobody's form, as the shadow began to grow to gigantic size, slowly taking a more defined shape.

 

 

Riku's eyes flitted between the Nobody and the tower, confused. What was this thing? Had Saix been less crazed in his movements then he thought, purposefully drawing him to this spot? For what? Riku discarded his doubts, deciding to finish things here and now.

 

 

“Right now, I'm focused on the things that matter most to me. And you're in the way.”

 

 

Before Way to Dawn could fall and eliminate Riku's scarred nemesis, the shadow burst, a great and terrible Heartless appearing in it's wake! The massive beast crashed into the sand, unleashing another obscuring wave that washed over both Key Bearer and Nobody.

 

 

By the time the dust had settled, Riku found himself alone withe obelisk. No Heartless. No Saix.

 

 

“Bastard...” He clenched an armour fist in rage, trembling at his failure. He had been so close, too.

 

 

“It's fine, it's fine.” Riku told himself, gathering his composure. “I'll keep watching the Corridors, keep trying to intercept them. They can't keep running and hiding forever. Sora, I'll free you one of these days. Soon.”

 

 

Quickly, the Key Bearer conjured up his own Dark Corridor. With nothing left for him in this world, he quickly departed back into the shadows.

 

 

However, if he had stayed just a while longer, he would have noticed the shifting sands and the presence of a terrible demon. That shadow had not vanished along with Saix. It was still active. Awake.

 

 

The Guardian Heartless was on the prowl for prey of it's own.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

A mouse, a duck, and dog walked into a bar.

 

 

But it wasn't any ordinary mouse, duck, or dog, but King Mickey Mouse of Disney, accompanied by his court magician and captain of his royal guard, Donald Duck and Goofy.

 

 

And it wasn't any ordinary bar, either. The establishment – formally it lacked a name, but it's patrons either referred to it as “the bar with no name” or “Onyx Tavern” - was located on the far-flung world of Onyx, infamous for it's reputation of hosting all sorts of scum and villains. Onyx was a lawless world, packed to the brim with criminals, thieves, thugs, brigands, insurance salesmen, and all sorts of others unsavoury and undesirable types. To have a bigwig like a King and Keyblade Master wandering into the seedy saloon was certainly an interesting and unexpected turn of events, as the motley assortment of patrons all stared at the Disney trio for a moment, before returning to their own business, not wanting any trouble.

 

 

Mickey strode into the dingy, smokey bar as if this was a perfectly normal scene, his two trust advisers and companions following behind. Every now and again, one of the shifty looking patrons would cast a dirty look towards the outsiders, but Mickey paid no mind to the attention. This wasn't a pleasure trip to the scummiest world around, he was there for business. In and out. Goofy just nodded cordially to each onlooker whenever their eyes met, blissfully unaware of the suspicious being cast on him and his friends. Donald, meanwhile, puffed up his chest, trying to project an air of strength and intimidation, returning the harsh looks back at the patrons.

 

 

“And what do you think you're looking at, you big palooka?” Donald forcibly asked some horrific beast of a being, easily three times as big as the duck mage, who had been staring at the trio for a whole minute.

 

 

The thing smacked it's lips, eyes never leaving the magician. “Don't know. Maybe my next meal. Duck's sort of a delicacy round these parts...”

 

 

Immediately, the air of intimidation went out the window, as Donald blanched and stepped away from the hulking brute.

 

 

“Oh, well... sorry to bother you, sir. Enjoy your day.”

 

 

“C'mon Donald. We don't have time for sightseeing.” Mickey called from up ahead. Donald didn't need to be told twice, scrambling away as fast as his webbed feet could carry him.

 

 

“Now, where could he be...”

 

 

“Listen here, Mouse.” Mickey turned at the sound of his name, seeing that the bartender was addressing him. “Dunno know why someone with a Keyblade came by here, but if yer gonna start trouble, you ain't leavin' here in one piece. That goes for the lot of you, too! Y'all know the rules, no fightin' in this here establishment!”

 

 

“We're not here looking for a fight, sir.” Mickey said, politely, approaching the bar as he did. Indeed, he was quite thankful for the bartender laying down the law. The atmosphere in here – on Onyx – was hostile to say the least. “But I am looking for something. A very specific someone.”

 

 

“A very big someone!” Goofy added.

 

 

“About yay tall and yay wide, in some kind of crazy jumpsuit.” Donald said, while gesturing with his hands.

 

 

The bartender stared the mouse, duck, and dog down for a tense moment, before screwing up his face. “Ugh... fine. I figure I know who yer referin' to.” The monstrous person motioned over his shoulder. “The booth in the very back. Remember, no fightin', and if I were you, I'd get outta here in a hurry. These yahoos are always liable to do somethin' stupid...”

 

 

Mickey nodded, thankful for the assist. “We'll be quick. Thanks for the help, sir.”

 

 

“Bah... anyone asks, I did nothin'. I got a reputation to keep.”

 

 

The trio then pushed their way across the barroom floor towards the direction the barkeep pointed towards. Tucked away in the most isolated corner, sitting all by his lonesome, everyone else nearby giving him as wide a berth as space would allow, sat the person Mickey was seeking.

 

 

After departing from Yen Sid's, Mickey doubled down on his mission to find a way to breech the Organization's stronghold. Donald and Goofy were disappointed they weren't going to help Kairi in a more direct manner, and even moreso that they weren't straight towards saving Sora, but they understood. Everyone had a part to play in this battle, and they weren't going to achieve victory against the Organization easily or quickly. Regardless, Mickey was at a bit of loss as to where to start in his quest, until he remember maybe the smartest man he had every met in his life, the man most likely to at least know where the wicked fortress of the Nobody's was: Ansem the Wise!

 

 

Problem was, the legendary scientist had pretty much vanished off the face of the Realm. Mickey had scoured his various sources he had gathered throughout the years trying to find whatever clue he could to Ansem's whereabouts. And this is what brought Mickey and his friends to Onyx. For, if there was one being who tried to keep tabs on the movers and shakers of the Realm of Light, it Maleficent. Even if the witch was recently departed, she still had her cronies and followers scattered about.

 

 

Desperate times made for strange bedfellows.

 

 

“Well, well, well, lookie here.” Pete bellowed, lounging back in the large booth. “If it ain't the boat boy king in the flesh! Aren't I tickled pink to have you come all this way for me.” The fat cat then turned to face Donald and Goofy. “And with his two favourite bozos in tow, too. Say, what're you doing here? Shouldn't you be tagging along with that dink with the Keyblade? Oh, don't tell me? Did you lose track of the little punk somewhere 'long the way?”

 

 

“Why you little -” Donald's temper flared, steam pouring out of his ears, as he rolled up his sleeves. Rule or no rule, there was no way he would stand by and let this creep insult him and his friend. The duck mage practically took to the air in his attempt to charge Pete from the other side of the table, but he was quickly scooped up by Goofy. “Let me at him! Let me at him, Goofy!” Donald ranted, struggling against his friend.

 

 

“Donald, settle down.” Mickey abjured. “I know you're still upset about what happened to Sora, but we need him.” The Mouse King went to stare down Maleficent's former flunky. “Much as I wish we didn't.” With a huff and a puff, the magician relented and calmed down, but not with burning a hole through the black cat.

 

 

“Pete, we need to talk.”

 

 

“Hmm, nope!” Pete chuckled heartily, before taking a big gulp of something from a tankard. “I'd rather not, Mr. King. Maleficent's gone and bit the big one, yet again, but this time she ain't coming back. So I got nothing to live for! May as well live it up while I got the chance! So why don't the three of you go off and skedaddle, go and bother someone else!”

 

 

“I knew this was going to be a waste of time!” Donald grumbled, still being carried in Goofy's arms, the knight not wanting to take any chances with his friend and legendary rage issues.

 

 

“Now, Pete, at least hear us out.” Goofy pleaded, trying a different approach than Donald. “We need your help to find Ansem so we can fight the Organization. If can't find him, they win. Ya don't want them to win either, do ya? They were the ones who took out Maleficent, after all...” Pete only shrugged, looking rather blase in the face of it all.

 

 

“Eh. Maybe I cared a while ago. But I ain't got a dog in the fight no more.” Obnoxiously, the cat man began to pick at something in his teeth, as if to broadcast how little he cared about this conversation. “'Sides, even if I help you mooks out, what good will it do? You got no Key boy no more, who's gonna fight those cloaked creeps?”

 

 

“Kairi! She's out there fightin' right now!”  
  


 

Pete burst out into a deep, mocking belly laugh. “That little redheaded powderpuff? Why, I bet she couldn't beat up a fly if it had all six legs tied behind it's wings!” Once more, Donald fumed and bristled at Pete's insults, barely being held back by his two longtime friends.

 

 

“Be that as it may, Kairi is still fighting.” Mickey pointed out. “She's out there, doing her best, against all odds and fighting. And you,” with a bit of uncharacteristic snide in his voice, Mickey looked his longtime adversary up and down. “Are hiding out on a bar in Onyx? That's just sad, Pete...” The cat man just crossed his arms and scowled.

 

 

“Well, easy for you to say. Keyblades. Princesses of Heart. Nobodies and witches and dark faeries. All y'all walk around the worlds like you own the place, tellin' everyone to believe in themselves and that they can do everything, when you have all the power!” Pete sighed, sinking in his seat, looking quite sullen and remorseful all of a sudden. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy all blinked and gaped in disbelief. “What're us regular Joes suppose to do, huh? I tried everything I could to be a contender, to be a player, but all I got was a plateful of crow. From you, from your Queenie, from Maleficent...

 

 

The kingly Key Bearer was honestly at a loss for words. He had never expected this level of regret and frustration from Pete. He had known the former steamboat captain for a long time, and he never let his bluster falter, never showed such vulnerability. He must have taken these recent setbacks pretty hard...

 

 

“Well, I'm tired of trying to be someone only to get knocked back down into the dirt. You and all your little friends are on their own, ya hear?”

 

 

“Look, Pete – Captain Pete.” Mickey was glad his old boss perked up ever so slightly. Browbeating Pete wasn't going to get them what they needed. In a way, he was just another victim of Maleficent and the Organization, a lost soul who had been hurt and abused while looking for a purpose. The Keyblade Master still believed there was some good in the heart of the big, black cat. “We really need your help. You're our last hope. I know Maleficent started keeping tabs on Ansem after her revival, you must have information on how to find him.” Pete rose back up to full height again, noisily chugging down his drink, but keeping eye contact with Mickey, silently urging him to continue. “And you may feel like there's nothing left to fight for, but there's plenty of deserving things in this world, Pete. Why don't, when this is all over, why don't you finally come home? Why don't you come back to Disney?”

 

 

That comment totally took Donald and Goofy off guard, the mage and knight gasping, Goofy raising his hands up to his cheeks, dropping Donald in the process. Even Pete was taken aback, almost spitting drink at Mickey's offer.

 

 

“Come on back and let's start a new chapter, Pete. If not for me, if not for yourself, then do it for Peg. I'm sure she's been missing you all these years.”

 

 

If Mickey didn't have Pete's attention before, the last name drop certainly had it, the cat man standing up from his seat and looming over the much smaller Mouse King. “Now that's dirty play, mouse boy, bringing her into this.” A ham-size fist slammed on the table, knocking empty plates and cutlery aside, as mouse and cat locked eyes. After a moment, though, Pete slumped back down into his booth, forlornly drumming his fingers against the tabletop. “... Do ya think she'd take me back? After all I've done?” He asked, hopefully.

 

 

“I'm sure if you're honest and open with her, she'd find it her heart to forgive you, Pete.” Mickey returned, happy to offer a lifeline towards the cat man. Pete furrowed his brow in thought at the offer, while Donald and Goofy both leaned into to confer with their monarch.

 

 

“Gawrsh, Your Majesty, are you sure about this?” Goofy wondered in hushed tones.

 

 

“Yeah, what if he comes back and just starts causing trouble again?” Came Donald, naturally the most suspicious of the two.

 

 

“Well, I guess we'd have to step him and stop him.” Was Mickey's response, but he then shook his head, casting his doubts on his companion's concerns. “But, I think that won't be necessary. After ten years of being in the darkness, I think Pete's had his fill. I think he wants to turn a page on his life, he just needs a friend to help him out.”

 

 

Donald and Goofy withdrew their doubts, trusting in Mickey's judgement, as Pete continued to deliberate on his options. Stay here and waste away on Onyx, or go back home and try this “normal life” thing all over again.

 

 

It really wasn't that hard of a decision.

 

 

“Alright, alright, I'll helps you guys.” Pete finally said, still trying to sound resistant and stubborn. “But no trickery, ya here me. And I want full amnesty and a royal pardon!” In the corner of his mind, Pete was already fantasizing of being done with all the skulking and shadows and Heartless and other assorted villainy. Fantasizing about settling down. Maybe... in a nice house in the suburbs. And running his own used-car dealership! That actually sounded quite nice compared to the last few months of his life...

 

 

“You have my word, Captain Pete!” Mickey offered his hand, throwing it across the table. “Tell us what we need to know and we'll get this all sorted out.”

 

 

As Pete spilled the beans on everything he knew regarding Ansem and his movements, Mickey reflected on what had led him here. As much as he wanted to help Sora, Kairi, and Riku in a more direct manner – to be fighting alongside them or helping or aiding them in the field – he also trusted in the words and advice of his mentor. The connection those three would be the key to victory, and he was responsible for creating a path for them to reunite and fight together. Mickey would do anything in his power to bring peace and salvation to those three kids. The three friends who had been through so much and just wanted to be back with their homes, their families, and each other.

 

 

Mickey, Donald, and Goofy departed, as quick as they came, off to find Ansem the Wise, promising they would swing back by and grab Pete when they were finished with him. But, as they did, Mickey remembered another set of three friends who were in a similar predicament as Sora, Kairi, and Riku. Who wanted the same thing, but never got their reunion. Their peace. Aqua, Terra, and Ventus were gone. Vanished without a trace.

 

 

A pang of guilt and sadness echoed in the heart of the Mouse King, as he promised to himself never again. That tragedy would not repeat itself.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

After a warm meal, a good night's rest, and a clean-ish bill of health, Kairi returned to her training in earnest. Admittedly, Kairi was very much looking forward to getting back into the training room, getting back to that normal routine. The crash course sessions on San Fransokyo were fine and all, and light stretching and cardio exercises were still a part of the routine, but the Key Bearer was focused on the task of improving. Getting stronger. Faster. More skillful. On getting better. Paine was absolutely correct when she said the fights were getting tougher, and so Kairi resolved herself to become able to surmount tasks twice as difficult than the ones she was expecting to face.

 

 

Not to mention, a lovely side-effect of all this training, of this intensive course, was that Kairi suddenly found herself in the best physical shape of her young life. Fat had burned away to form lean muscle on her arms, shoulders, and belly, and the redhead was finding herself full of energy, even in the early mornings and late evenings, and she was sleeping better, as well! Kairi was enjoying every bit of it, too, thinking that she should have gotten more invested in physical fitness years ago. Perhaps, when she returned home and settled down, she should get more involved with something, do more than settle for the occasional pick-up volleyball games on the beach. And a few athletic endeavours would look very good on her transcript, too.

 

 

_Okay... cut it out, Kairi. You're starting to sound like mom..._

 

 

The structure of her training shifted, as after her beginning work-out, Kairi was joined by all three Gullwings, instead of just Yuna for her magic lessons. Something about “more advanced techniques” had been mentioned, but Kairi had just thought that meant learning a new variety of magic, or upgrading the spells she already had.

 

 

“At this point, I am very pleased with your progress regarding your magic.” Yuna explained when Kairi questioned the presence of Rikku and Paine, questioned the nature of this new training. “While you're still struggling with your Green Magic, and we haven't touched Time Magic yet, you have more or less mastered the second tier of Black and White Magic spells. Not to mention, your ability to manipulate the shape and form of some of your spells is exemplary, far beyond what you should be capable of.” Kairi blushed at the compliment. She had explained her daring-do in the battle with Luxord, the desperate uses of her Water Whip and Fiery Wings, which had earned her some kudos and plaudits from her companions. “I am confident that with time and effort, you'll advance even further on your own, without additional training.”

 

 

Paine picked up where Yuna left off. Kairi had noticed both the white-haired woman and Rikku had brought their weapons with them. “I can say much the same about your swordfighting techniques. Well, to a point. You're adequate.” Kairi had to resist doing something like sighing or rolling her eyes, why was she not surprised Paine would offer such sparing praise versus Yuna? “So, starting today, we're going to be working together, combining what you've learned with me and with Yuna, to reinforce what you already know, and to broaden your skillset.”

 

 

“Okay...” Kairi narrowed her eyes, still perplexed at where this was going. “But I still don't understand what we're going to be doing.” Yuna nodded slightly, stepping up again.

 

 

“Well, if you don't mind me giving you another lecture...” Kairi didn't, in fact. She found Yuna to be an excellent teacher and wished all jer instructors back at home were as skilled and passionate as the Spiran gunslinger. “As we've previously discussed, mana, or magical energy, is inherent in all living things. Anyone with enough effort and time can learn how to use their mana to cast magic, but some people are naturally inclined to casting magic, and others lack that natural affinity.” All this was old information to the Key Bearer. Yuna possessed that affinity. Paine and Rikku did not. Kairi either had it as well, or wielding the Keyblade granted it to her. The verdict was still out on that one. “However, even if a person is disadvantaged towards traditional spellcasting, they can still channel their mana to do other things.”

 

 

At this point, Paine hefted up her broadsword, carrying it parallel to her chest. The dark swordswoman shut her eyes, face screwing up in concentration, as she tried to do... something. Kairi wasn't sure where this was going. Paine was holding still as possible, trembling only very sightly from the effort she was pouring into this unknown task. Then, without warning, a red haze began to coat her broadsword, before sparking outward in a burst of heat. In an instant, a sheathe of brilliant flames coated the surface of the sword, dancing and flickering upon the polished metal. Kairi was at a loss of words for this development. She never knew Paine possessed this kind of ability.

 

 

The magical flame soon snuffed out after the demonstration, Yuna continuing her lecture. “A warrior who lacks prowess in spellcasting can still channel their mana through their body and objects they wield to enchant them or alter how they behave. These techniques are usually referred to as 'Artes'.”

 

 

“You've probably seen these before.” Paine said, wiping away a sheen of sweat from her brow. That 'Arte' thing must have taken more out of her than first blush suggested. “In the journal. Anything Sora's done like his Strike Raid or Sonic Blade. Those are Artes, too.”

 

 

Kairi nodded along with everything explained to her, doing her best to absorb the information provided. It seemed easy enough, but also esoteric. The girl was certain she would struggle to achieve these things at first, but once she worked through the process, it would start coming to her. Still, a question or two remained for the studious Princess of Heart.

 

 

“I still don't understand, though. Why are Paine and Rikku here?”

 

 

“Because while the three of us have more experience than you, in fighting and adventuring, we are not in our top form.” Yuna offered, with a slightly forlorn sigh. Paine grunted, lip twitching in annoyance.

 

 

“Spending all that time as fairies left us with our fair share of rust. Rikku and I are especially out of practice with our Artes. It's why we haven't been using them in the field.”

 

 

“Thank you for that, Maleficent!” Rikku offered, sarcastically, crossing her arms and pouting as she did. “Why did we even agree to work for her in the first place? All it's been is bad news for us; a knock to our reputation, constant embarrassment, we're weaker...”

 

 

“Did we really have a choice back then?” Paine returned in a grouchy tone.

 

 

Rikku stammered on a reply, while Kairi focused on what the blonde had just said. What she had learned about the trio in their travels together.

 

 

After a moment's hesitation, the redhead asked her friends, “Hey guys, before we start, can I ask you... what do you plan to do when this is over?”

 

 

That gave her companions pause, the three Gullwings turning to look at each other for ideas, but only found their unsure expression mirrored on the others.

 

 

“I suppose we haven't given that much thought...” Yuna said, after a minute of silent contemplation. “To be truthful, we were Maleficent's lackeys for so long, without any way out of that situation, that seemed like all there would be for us. I suppose we can at least thank the Organization for that.”

 

 

Kairi knew there wasn't much sincerity to that statement, but still held her hands up and raised her eyebrows. “Whoa. Let's not say things we can't take back...”  
  


 

“Regardless,” Yuna continued through her laughter. “I honestly don't know what we'd do or where we'd go. Spira is long gone, I don't know if it can be restored. We don't really have a home to return to...” The former Summoner said forlornly, causing Kairi to feel a surge of sorrow and regret. She figured the others hadn't gotten over the destruction of their home. Her homes had both been destroyed, but Kairi lacked either the connection or consciousness to feel the same thing as Yuna and the others. She couldn't even imagine the pain they went through, losing Spira.

 

 

“I always figured we would go back to what we were doing on Spira, during the Eternal Calm.” Paine brought up, now leaning against the wall of the training room, conveniently covering up Kairi's notes from yesterday. “Sure, hopping from world to world treasure hunting isn't the most glamorous life, but it can be profitable. And, more importantly, we'd be living on our own terms.”

 

 

Rikku pouted and shook her head, violently, clearly objecting to Paine's preferred plans. “Heck no! You wanna go from dismantling a bunch of supervillains to exploring ancient ruins, dodging death traps, and sealing evils back into their cans?” The blonde made a loud, obnoxious buzzing sound to indicate the dark woman's wrongness. “Nah-ah! After all we've been through, we deserve a vacation.” A wistful look overtook Rikku, even as her tone conveyed this topic was utterly serious to her. “I'm thinking a tropical island. You know, the sand, the surf, the sun. Fruity drinks, hot guys, cute girls. The whole works.”

 

 

“You know, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I agree with Rikku the most.” Kairi interrupted, her voice rising above the other threes. A small argument had broken out between the other girls, though mostly harmless, regarding what to do following all this. “You guys do deserve a little time off, some R&R. I would love for you guys to come to my home and see the sights. I'm certain my mom would love to meet the three who've been keeping me safe.” Briefly, Kairi tried to conjure scenarios of her mom, the prim and proper former mayor of her hometown, meeting the Gullwings. She's probably hit it off well with Yuna. Paine, too, probably. And, hey, Kairi had been friends with Selphie – another hyperactive girl in yellow – for nearly ten years, her mom could probably handle Rikku, too.

 

 

Thinking of her mom, her home, her girl friend, made Kairi get a little misty-eyed from nostalgia. She had to force herself out of the reverie and get back to the matter at hand.

 

 

“And I know you guys don't have the greatest relationship with everyone from Hollow Bastion,” the redhead continued, hoping no one else noticed the tears she was blinking away. “But, I want to go back there and try and put in a good word for the three of you. Smooth things over. Maybe, when you're done with your vacation and exploring or whatever, you could call that your new home. Or the Islands.” Kairi cleared her throat, realizing that she was beginning to ramble. The Gullwings were all observing her, with the Key Bearer shuffling her feet and scratching at the back of her head in response. “Um... if that's okay with you guys. I don't wanna...”

 

 

“Kairi. We appreciate the thought, but you don't need to all of that.” Yuna returned, smiling congenially at her friend's offer and grace. “We'd love to see your home and meet your family, but whatever happens beyond that, we'll be fine. No need for you to put your neck on the line for us.”

 

 

“But there is!” To her, this had been building for sometime. How the Gullwings had been given an unfair shake. Kairi wouldn't hear a word against this. “You guys are heroes! You save your entire world! And now, because of a bad situation and you being taken advantage of, you're only thought of as thieves and spies.” Now that she had gotten to know the three, now that they have been through so many life-or-death situations, Kairi was deeply ashamed of herself for having any reservations about the trustworthiness of the Gullwings. “I never want you to hear you refer to yourselves as 'a bunch of thieves' every again. You guys are my friends and I always stand up for my friends!”

 

 

Now, it was Kairi's turn to observe the Gullwings. Yuna had the reaction she expected; beaming bright and proudly at the declaration. Rikku seemed oddly pleased with the statement, as well, holding her head high and with a clearly visible smiling curled on her lips. Not mischievous or playful as was the norm, but warm and content. Paine, however, surprised Kairi in her reaction. The stern swordswoman looked away for a moment, consideration reflected in her ruby red eyes, but her face was something Kairi had never seen expressed on Paine before. Was it... confusion? Shock? Was she taken aback by this display?

 

 

Again – not for the first time, but again – Kairi thought she could see a thin, surprised smile on the lips of the older woman. Maybe she wasn't imagining things...

 

 

Paine's head snapped back up, eyes falling on Kairi. Her face returned to cold, steely neutrality, as if she could sense Kairi's thoughts. “Okay. Enough with the sentimental stuff. We got work to do.” Kairi nodded, more than happy to get started.

 

 

“Right. Let's begin, girls.”

 

 

As it turned out, these “Arte” techniques weren't so daunting in practice as they initially seemed. Kairi was a pro at channeling her magic by this time, especially in a controlled and calm setting like the training room, so it was easy enough to change the path of mana from projecting it beyond her hands to settling it within and around her Keyblade. It was actually satisfying, feeling that thrum of power resonate within Destiny's Embrace, every time she successfully charged the weapon with energy.

 

 

From then on, it was a simply a matter of either controlling the mana within, or charging it like she as casting an elemental spell. Admittedly, both Kairi and Rikku nearly burned themselves the first time they lit their weapons on fire – what Paine referred to as “Flametongue” – and the first time Kairi tried to use Sora's Sonic Blade, her Keyblade ended up vibrating out of her hand as the redhead smacked head-first into the wall, but they were minor bumps in the road that Kairi quickly recovered from.

 

 

All throughout, as Kairi, Paine, and Rikku trained and sparred and learned (the later two were making much better progress than Kairi, but the Key Bearer chalked it up to them relearning, while she was starting from scratch), Paine and Yuna continued to lecture and inform her of what to do, as well as all of the names and variations of the techniques they were using.

 

 

Charge your weapon full of mana and fling it like a boomerang, guiding it back to your hand, and you had Strike Raid.

 

 

If you enfused the mana like you were casting a fire spell while throwing the weapon, then you had Fire Raid. If it were ice magic, then Blizzard Raid. That Flametongue Arte could become Ice Brand or Coral Sword or Zwill Crossblade, depending on what type of mana you enchanted the blade with.

 

 

It was a lot like math, Kairi thought. But only if math were more like an RPG.

 

 

_Maybe I should have paid more attention to the boys when they were playing Pokemon or Persona..._

 

 

But that would bring a close to the productive and rewarding part of Kairi's day, leading in to the supremely frustrating portion. After several hours of this joint training session – Paine and Rikku shaking off some of their rust, and Kairi making progress on these new techniques at a furious rate – the group broke for a quick lunch, before returning to the training room to tackle a different problem. A problem and a mystery Kairi had ran up against before, and had made no headway on her own, but was beginning to wish did not exist.

 

 

That being, her Light. Her status as a Princess of Heart.

 

 

“I've told you guys before, I've only ever been able to use it after a big emotional swell or something.” Kairi had been dragging her feet on this topic every since it was broached. She would much rather be doing anything than having her and her powers thoroughly dissected. Having something such an intimate element of herself be exposed in such a way. “I've even been trying in my off-time to work on it, and nothing's come. And when I say nothing, I mean literally nothing.”

 

 

“Cut it out.” Paine told her, bluntly. “It's obvious what you're doing, you're trying to sidestep the issue because you're frustrated and annoyed by it.” Kairi furrowed her brow and pouted at the dark woman's analysis, but said nothing, letting Paine continue. “But, as we've said before, your Light is a distinct advantage we're going to need. We're still in a bad position, so we can't let your discomfort rule the day.”

 

 

Arms crossed over her chest, Kairi tapped her foot in annoyance, trying to think of a way to move past Paine and her logic. She now made no attempt to hide her disappointment and frustrations at the topic at hand, if her friends were just going to to rend her feelings for all to bare.

 

 

“Look, all I'm saying is, I know what magic is, I know what the Keyblade is, but just what is this Light I have suppose to be?” Still deflecting, but now trying to appeal more to reason than emotion, Kairi did her absolute best to weasel out of this unpleasant task. “What exactly is a Princess of Heart?”

 

 

“Well,” Yuna began, after Paine grunted dismissively and told Kairi to stop whining and get to work, “The old story goes that the worlds of the Realm of Light were once one. But, then, darkness seeped in and threatened all life, and a great war broke out among the unified world. That darkness swallowed everything, casting the world into oblivion. But, it did not consume the light within the hearts of the children and the innocent of this unified world. With that light, they were able to hold onto pieces of that world, leaving them as smaller worlds, islands adrift a sea of stars.” Kairi listened to Yuna's tale with rapt attention. Even in this abridged and simplified form, this was all too familiar to the redheaded girl. “So, the Light the Princesses possess is the light the children once used to protect their homes from the tide of darkness. The light that created the Realm of Light as we know today.”

 

 

“Yeah, yeah. I know that story, Yuna. My, uh... my grandma use to tell me it all the time when I was a little girl. It was my favourite...” Even if it was hazy and distant, her grandma and those stories were the only memories Kairi still had of her lost childhood on Hollow Bastion. A trill of joy rang through her heart, as Yuna's retelling made things a little more clearer. Once, her grandma asked why she liked that story so much, and Kairi remembered saying because it got a little scary and a little dark, but then ended all nice and hopeful. Those were the best kinds of stories.

 

 

“Well, that was a very nice story, Yuna.” Paine's voice broke through to Kairi, the latter returning to reality with the former now pacing about, growing more and more impatient. “But we have work to get to.” Once more, Kairi voiced her objections, leading to the dark Gullwing to grumble and growl her complaints through gnashed teeth. “Kairi, seriously, I know how you feel about this, I do. I understand. It's bitter work, but it's work that still has to be done.”

 

 

“Listen, guys, this... I've been thinking lately about all this stuff, the Princesses and their Light, and...” Kairi took a deep breath, bracing herself for whatever fallout would come from this. Being honest with how she felt always worked out, but it still sucked to get over that hump. “Maleficent came to Hollow Bastion looking for me. She destroyed my home because of me. The Islands were invaded and destroyed because she was still looking for me all those years later. Maleficent and Ansem used me to poison Riku against Sora. And I'm sure it's the same with Belle and the others; that they were hunted and used to hurt the people they love.” Call it frustration, call it bitterness, but this is what Kairi truly felt. She could not see the good in her Light, she could not see the necessity in the Seven Princesses. “All this pain and suffering caused by us, and for what? Because some old story says we're important for some nebulous reason? Because if you bring all of us together you can create a door to the Realm of Darkness? Really useful there...” Kairi sighed, pressing a head against her forehead. She had shut her eyes mid-rant, not wanting to see how her companions were reacting to this. “At times, I think everyone would be better off if the Princesses didn't exist. If I were just an ordinary, regular girl instead of a walking MacGuffin.”

 

 

Silence followed Kairi's speech, which felt odd to her. She was certain Yuna would come to console her, or that Paine would give her grief for weaseling her way out of things again. Daring to take a look via peaking through one eye, Kairi saw that all three Gullwings were looking awful contemplative and thoughtful, much to her surprise. As if her words had somehow reached them and resonated with them.

 

 

“No, Kairi, I understand you completely...” Came Yuna, in a soft and quiet voice. “Often times, I felt the same when I was a Summoner. That my powers were more a curse than a blessing.” The more Yuna spoke of her time on Spira, the more strongly Kairi felt of the connection she possessed with the spiritual woman. “And being a woman on top of it. There were so many people who never saw me as a person, only for my powers or as a means to achieve there ends...” The brunette shuddered. “It was awful and dehumanizing. I know how awful that feels...”

 

 

“Yuna...”

 

 

Before Kairi could go and console her friend, Paine lifted her head and made eye contact, drawing her attention away.

 

 

“So that's it? You see your Light as a weakness and a liability?” Kairi nodded dimly in response to Paine's inquiry. “Then that's all the more reason to to start working at it.” To Kairi's pleasant surprise, the swordswoman's tone was not harsh or scolding, but motivating. Paine was actually trying to pull her into things in a positive way. It was a little scary, if Kairi was being honest. “Let's turn that liability into a strength. Because no one should have to feel worthless and unneeded like that...”

 

 

Kairi perked up at Paine's speech, feeling fired up and ready to go. Maybe Paine was right. There was validity to her fears and concerns, but letting them hold her back wasn't going to help anyone. She needed to work through these issues to become better, to become the hero people needed, the warrior that could save those in need and heal ailing hearts, and that if she worked hard enough, she could turn this flaw in herself into something greater. In all the old stories, Princesses were only targets for dragons and witches and evil queens, but – as Yuna was fond of reminding her – this was Kairi's story. This time, if she wanted it, the Princess could be whatever she desired.

 

 

Then, not long after that realization, Kairi remembered exactly why she had been so averse to this entire venture.

 

 

The afternoon training session was truly a miserable experience. No matter what Kairi or any of the Gullwings did, they couldn't conjure up a single spark of light, let alone enough for the Princess to manipulate in any usable capacity.

 

 

Even after identifying that it was her desire to protect others that would cause this mystery power to swell within her heart, the group of four still made no headway through the waning hours of the afternoon. Meditating and focusing on those memories and feelings did nothing to trigger the Light. Nor did the Gullwings taking on the guise of villains, taunting the novice Key Bearer and trying to push her to an edge. At one point, Paine went so far as to attack Yuna and Rikku, saying that only way to she was going to stop was if Kairi stopped her with her Light.

 

 

In the end, Paine did stop, but not through her stated goal. Just as she was about to strike at Yuna, the latter pinned in the corner of the room, Kairi collapsed in a heap, screaming at the top of her lungs, tearfully cursing herself and her uselessness.

 

 

In the end, a beaten and despondent Kairi shuffled off to the showers. The feeling of accomplishment during the Artes training having been wiped away, replaced with a now engendered and venomous resentment of herself and this nebulous, vague, _cursed, and useless_ power that dwelt within her. So much for turning liability into advantage, weakness into strength. Kairi was more convinced than ever that the Light of the Seven Princesses was a mistake; that she and Sora and Riku would be better off without it. It had come to her aid a handful of times in her life – all within the past year – but weighed against all those that suffered in the destruction of Hollow Bastion and the Islands, it seemed like an easy decision.

 

 

Kairi and Yuna were charged with dinner duty that night. Kairi wasn't much of a cook, but she was a diligent helper, and did her best to be as observant as possible in the kitchen. Truthfully, the Key Bearer was throwing herself into the task with complete vigour, desperate to wash away the memories of failure and frustration from earlier in the day.

 

 

Throughout the evening, Kairi busied herself with whatever jobs Yuna gave her, while the latter handled the bulk of the dish (they had restocked their pantry before leaving San Fransokyo, so Yuna was making some kind of noodle dish with a vegetarian stir-fry). During all this, Yuna tried her best to do what she was good at: give Kairi all the support and encouragement in the world, regardless of the roadblock that had presented itself. Much as Kairi appreciated the support of her biggest personal cheerleader, all of the gunslinger's words sailed through her ears without much effect. The resentment and aversion to her Light and status as Princess had turned into venom and bile. The Gullwings had promised to keep working with her until they had a breakthrough, no matter how long it would take, but she just didn't see the point.

 

 

As far as Kairi was concerned, her heart was her true strength, but this Light was just an unwanted intrusion. Something that didn't belong, something actively fighting against her and working against her goals and desires. Why waste time focusing on her Light when she already had such success and clarity with her Keyblade and her magic?

 

 

_Sometimes... I wonder if it's me. If the reason I'm struggling is because there's an inherent flaw in who I am. That if Belle or Jasmine or whoever were the Key Bearer, they would have no problem calling upon their Light. While I now know why I have the Keyblade, I still can't understand why it chose me before... so many others... Sora? Did you ever feel like this? Standing next to people like Hercules and Leon, did you feel like you weren't worthy? Like you were a lesser option? Another thing to ask you when we reunite..._

 

 

Kairi turned in to bed that night brooding and thoughtful, but trying to focus on the horizon. After dinner, Rikku reported they weren't too far off from the next world with a Stone. That meant another landing, another mission, another chance for Kairi to push herself, to grow, and to do better than her failures in training would suggest.

 

 

Kairi drifted off to sleep, the clouds of doubt over her heart and mind alleviated slightly by the prospect of the next step in her adventure. Whenever she felt down, Kairi would just remind herself that a new world would be just around the bend. After all, each new world meant she was a chance to become stronger, a chance to help others; it meant she was one step closer to ending the tyranny of the Organization, and one step closer to being back together with Sora, her family, and her friends.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Namine barely reacted when the swirling, black mass of a Dark Corridor materialized in the hallowed halls of the Secret Place. She figured it was bad for her to become inured to such an event – her enemies traveled via the same way, they could easily take her by surprise – but remained lackadaisical all the same.

 

 

“So? How did it go this time?” The Memory Witch didn't even bother looking up from her sketchpad.

 

 

“I actually crossed paths with him.” Riku explained, shaking loose a bit of sand that still caked his armour. “Saix was with him, and they both got away. But I was close, real close.” The newly reborn Key Bearer spoke in breathless tone, manically pacing through the small confines of the cavern. “I just have to be persistent and I can do this...”

 

 

Namine barely paid any mind to Riku's rant or explanation. A combination of being too engrossed in her drawing and having been through this song and dance far too often for her liking. For a brief moment, she wondered how things had progressed to this point, that she had basically tuned Riku out.

 

 

Dread had loomed over Namine when Riku chose to depart to that wasteland of a world that contained the armour. The dread only magnified when Riku did not return by sundown, nor by daybreak (Namine had not slept at all that entire night, too terrified that she would lose her last friend). But, just when it looked like all hope was lost, Riku returned at the cusp of dusk on that second day, now bearing both a Keyblade and that suit of armour, but without the taint of Xehanort within his heart. To say that Namine was overjoyed would be a gross understatement. There wasn't a proper word that could communicate her happiness that Riku had overcame that darkness that he had been drowning in. A fever took hold of Namine in that moment, as she imagined all the wonderful things that would come of this: Riku would wander out of the shadows and take command of his fate, finally cross paths with Kairi and help her in the war against the Organization. This would be the point where the tide would turn. There's no way anyone could stand up against two Key Bearers, soon to be three when Kairi and Riku inevitably freed Sora.

 

 

But, of course, Namine should have known all of this was too good to be true. Nothing in her life could ever go as planned...

 

 

As if on cue, the moment Namine brought up Riku going to see Kairi, he turned obstinate, making as many excuses as possible. Namely, going back to the excuse that he couldn't face Kairi unless he had Sora at his side. And so, despite all the changes, Namine and Riku found themselves in the exact same rut as before. Namine, marooned on the Islands, while Riku blindly stalked into the great beyond, hunting for Sora and the Organization. Well, at least Riku wasn't taking his life into his own hands every time he ventured out, but that fact did little to assuage Namine's bitterness towards the situation.

 

 

Riku continued to go on and on – he had fully flipped from depressive to manic, it seemed –, with Namine continuing to ignore him, fully absorbed in her etchings. For some reason the blonde couldn't possibly fathom, Riku had refused to remove his helmet and reveal his face since returning from the Graveyard, even when he was back in his own body. Not wanting to argue with him over another element of his stubborn, foolish pride, she decided the next best course of action was to imagine what Riku now looked like. That was the subject of her drawings for today.

 

 

She had a number of different Rikus rendered on the white pages of her book. Some were far too close to how he appeared when they first met in Castle Oblivion – he had shot up in height, she was certain the rest of his body had similarly matured. Others were probably way too drastic in their differences; heavily scarred or overly feminine or grizzled and gnarled like the hero from some cheesy action flick. Namine's favourites though, simply accentuated the parts of Riku she found so endearing: his strong will and determination, the soft-spoken noble air about him, his earnest and honest heart, and the love she knew he possessed for his friends, even if he buried it deep down inside of him.

 

 

Namine sighed, sadly, imagining what could be – what should be – as she finally tuned Riku back in.

 

 

“...Saix mentioned that 'destiny' crap like Ansem, so I guess what he said was true. He and Xemnas were working together to a common goal.” Was the first thing Namine heard and properly processed, stashing away her book and giving the Key Bearer her full attention. “Oh, and there was this weird black obelisk where we were fighting. Saix seemed oddly protective of it. I don't -”

 

 

“That's a Blackheart Stone.” Namine interjected. “They draw Heartless into the Realm of Light. That must be how the Organization is flooding the worlds with Heartless.” Metallic clinking echoed through the small cavern, Riku craning his head to face Namine. Eyes flitting between her friend and her book, Namine tried her best to envision one of her sketches of Riku superimposed over the dark helmet.

 

 

“How do you know all that?”

 

 

“It was in Ansem's notes.” Back when the three of them were holed up in the Old Mansion, Namine would frequently sneak off in the dead of the night to peek into Ansem's research data, to get an idea of what the crazed scientist was doing. That's where she first learned fusing Roxas with Sora wasn't helping the latter wake up sooner.

 

 

It's also where Namine learned one other, horrific theory that was proving to be all too true...

 

 

“Ansem's notes said only a Keyblade can destroy the Stones, much like the Heartless.” Namine continued, trying not to dwell on those dark words she read way back when.

 

 

Riku nodded along with her exposition. “Interesting.... Anything else interesting in those notes?”

 

 

“No.” Namine lied, coolly. “Just the ramblings of a sad, old, bitter man. And more than a few screeds about how Roxas and I are just as wicked as the rest of the Nobodies, how our whole existence is a blight on the Realm, and that aberrations like us should be exterminated.” She laughed, mirthlessly. Riku did not share her blithe view of things, hissing in spite towards the slights against his friends. “You know, what you'd expect Ansem to write...”

 

 

“That... DiZ will pay dearly for what he's done, I promise you.” Came Riku, icily. So cold that Namine flinched at the tone. Not to mention, she was certain she wouldn't feel better no matter what befell Ansem, good or bad. She just wanted...

 

 

“If those Stones are important for the Organization, I should go back to Agrabah.” Riku stated, summoning another Corridor, despite having just returned. “I'll destroy it and go back to monitoring the pathways. I'm getting closer, every encounter. The next time I come across the Organization, I'll get my hands on Sora. I know it. I just know it!”

 

 

Riku sounded so adamant and strong, so much like himself, that Namine almost let him leave without a word of resistance. But she felt her skin prickle, and the lump in her throat she couldn't suppress, no matter how hard she swallowed. This was wrong, this was still so wrong. No matter how much it seemed like Riku was Riku, Namine could still see he was broken in so many ways. This was not the brash and strong boy from Sora's memories. This was not the foolish boy who dove into the abyss and lost everything. This was not the repentant soul who fought his way out of that abyss and tamed it.

 

 

This coward was not Namine's friend.

 

 

“Riku!” She blurted his named out with extreme haste, causing Riku to stop at the precipice of his corridor. “You can... you can't keep doing this. Please, this will be the last time I tell you this, but you need to go see Kairi. You need to find her and help her!”

 

 

Despite all the fighting and bickering that this topic had spawned, Namine knew this was the right path. This was where Riku needed to go, what he needed to do. But she also knew arguing with him and scolding him and trying to shame him into doing this was not the way to achieve what she wanted. If she wanted to get anywhere, Namine needed to apply a gentler touch.

 

 

“Namine, I-” Quickly, Riku was cut off again. Namine held a hand up for silence, and he yielded. A promising start, at least.

 

 

“I know what you're going to say. You've said it all before, after all.” Namine had been steeling herself for this confrontation for some time, thinking of it as her own personal battlefield. So, she came to battle with a strategy, using everything she knew about her friend and his life to figure out what to say, what to do. To realize what the root of Riku's issue was.

 

 

“That you can't face Kairi without Sora. Because you think you're at fault for everything that happened since that fateful night last year. Because you think Kairi won't find it within herself to forgive you for what happened.”

 

 

Riku liked to refer himself as a realist. The proper term for his worldview was “pessimistic”. He only ever saw the worst in himself, and in most people around him, so he always expected others to see the bad things in him. Namine understood where he was coming from on this, she herself thought similarly regarding herself, but when one considered Sora and Kairi...

 

 

“But I know where you're coming from, Riku. You don't think you'll ever be able to forgive yourself for what you did, a-and that maybe you don't want forgiveness from the others...” Namine had to remind herself to breath. Inhale, exhale. Her entire body was trembling as she spoke, but her voice remained steady.

 

 

“You think that it would be easier if Sora and Kairi just hated you, if they held some kind of resentment towards you. You would have an easier time understanding those feelings than if they were to forgive you.”

 

 

Everything Riku had done – from the night of Islands' destruction on – was motivated by fear. The fear of losing Sora and/or Kairi. Namine was certain this, too, was the root cause of Riku's current bout of hesitancy and cowardice. After his parent's divorced and his mother left with his sister, Sora and Kairi were the only true constants in Riku's life, the only people who ever understood him. They were more than just his closest friends. They were his family. His entire world. Namine could see the shadows of terror clouding his heart, as he envisioned a life without his brother or sister. She could see why he was working so desperately to prevent that reality from occurring, in his mind at least.

 

 

Riku's answer was surprisingly quiet and restrained, spoken in a soft, mellow voice, too. “Namine, I don't want to have this conversation. Just, please trust me on this, I know -”

 

 

“I know you feel that way, Riku! I know it, because....” Tears began to well up in the eyes of the blonde Nobody, staining her crystalline blue irises with heavy, undue emotion. “Because I think the same way. It would just be easier for me to have Sora and Roxas hate me for what I did and be done with it. I just can't understand why they would forgive a horrid little witch like me, for ruining their lives...” Seconds of deathly quiet passed, the only sounds in the cavern being the churning of the Corridor and the sad sniffling of the young girl, as she did her best to keep the tears in check. “But they would.” With a small smile, Namine found the strength in herself to keep speaking. “They will. Sora and Roxas would forgive me, one-hundred percent, even if I don't understand why. Same goes for Sora and Kairi. Those three... they always see the best in others. See the good and the beauty. See things that we ourselves our blind to.

 

 

“So, please, please Riku, I won't ask again, but I am begging you to do this. Go to Kairi, here and now. If you want to makes amends, then find her and help her and save Sora, together.”

 

 

To the great surprise of the witch, Riku's answer to her impassioned plea was not verbal. More mental clinking filled the cave, as he clenched his armoured fists together, before releasing them and raising them up to either side of his helmet. Clasps came undone, as Riku slowly pulled the piece of black armour off of himself.

 

 

“...But what if she does hate me? What if she rejects me? What if she casts me out of her life and makes Sora choose between her and me. I... I can't win that one...”

 

 

His hair had grown out, probably too long, to be honest. The bangs covering his aquamarine eyes looked ridiculous. As did the way it flowed down passed the nape of his neck. But it still shimmered like silver in the dim sunlight filtering through the holey ceiling of the cave. Still as striking and eye-catching as always. His face was leaner, too, with a few faint scars on his left cheek and dashed against the bridge of his nose. But he wore those features well. Given any other circumstances, this older and more mature teenager would be considered dashing, noble, and strong.

 

 

Riku would've looked all those things, in Namine's estimation, if he didn't look so damn miserable now.

 

 

“The idea... it sickens me. Terrifies me.” Riku was almost choking on his words, and was clearly straining to hold himself together. “I know what I'm doing is foolish and not the best path, but it's my path all the same. I have to make certain, without a shadow of a doubt, that Kairi would still love me like her own brother. That she would want me back in her life. You're right when you say it would be easier if they just hated me, but that just means the more difficult task is the one worth doing.”

 

 

Namine slumped back against the wall of the Secret Place, feeling defeated. This was the end of this. She had promised. If she had a heart, this is the point where it would break, knowing she wasn't going to be able to see Riku reunite with his friends. She buried her face her hands and let out a tiny, muffled sob, hoping Riku wouldn't pick up on it.

 

 

He didn't.

 

 

“It's a long road, but that's been the story of my life. Long, painful, arduous journeys through fire and shadows.” Riku placed his helmet back on himself, locking it into place, hiding his vulnerability from the world once more. “But it will be worth it in the end. We'll bring Sora back and he and Kairi will reunite. We'll all come back here together, and you can meet them, at long last. Like you said, Sora and Kairi see the best in others; he'll forgive you for what happened in Castle Oblivion and Kairi will love you. She always wanted a sister growing up.” As he spoke, Riku's voice rose, steadily in volume as well as intensity and purpose. As if he wasn't so much as describing as what he wanted to happen, but what he was going to make happen. “And then, we'll find some way to bring Roxas back. There has to be. There just has to! And then you two can... be together.” Riku stammered and faltered, as if unsure of what to say next. “Do stuff. Whatever it is couples do together. I don't know. I don't really understand romance...”

 

 

“'C-couple? Together'?” For a brief instant, Namine's own dread relieved itself, replaced by embarrassment and shock. The blonde removed her face from her palm, revealing a flustered expression and flushing cheeks. “W-what in the world do you mean?” She asked, trying to play it off cool.

 

 

Riku only chuckled at his friend, inclining his head in her direction. “Don't try and act all coy. I've been around Sora and Kairi their entire lives. I know infatuation when I see it.” Namine tried to formulate a response, unable to get the words out, before Riku added, “I'm sure he likes you, too.”

 

 

“Th-that has nothing to do with anything, Riku! It's not important right now.” The Key Bearer's laugh only deepened at Namine's embarrassment and her feeble attempts to deflect his (spot-on) analysis. “Roxas and I are just friends! N-not even! We met only a handful of times, and he couldn't even remember -”

 

 

“It _is_ important, Namine.” Namine clammed up, still burning red, as Riku spoke, staring at her through his glass visor again. “Much as Roxas and I... don't see eye-to-eye, you and him are special, right? You're not like the other Nobodies. Even if you don't have a physical heart, you have one in every other regard. How you feel, what you want out of life, it matters. It is important. Sora. Kairi. Myself. We'll give you everything you deserve, right?”

 

 

Namine did her best to swallow her emotions, to fight back even more tears. With a shaking nod, she answered, “Yes...”

 

 

“Then, forgive me for this. It'll all be worth it in the end...”

 

 

Riku vanished into the Dark Corridor soon thereafter. Namine hardly processed it. All she remembered was dumbly stumbling out of the cave and into the sun-dappled beach of the play island, blinking rapidly from the transition of darkness to intense sunlight. Her head was throbbing and she was heartsick, too, as she staggered across the scorching sand.

 

 

The fingers on Namine's left hand flickered in and out of existence.

 

 

There was one other thing Namine had learned when she was perusing through Ansem's research data, regarding herself, her being and the peculiarities of her birth. There was a reason, after all, why her element was so esoteric and specific compared to the other Nobodies, why she couldn't manifest a weapon or a tool like the others, too. Whatever substance made up the physical form of a Nobody, whatever it was that fueled their nonexistence, Namine had less of it than any of the other fully-humanoid Nobodies, sometimes even less than the lesser spawn. And whatever paltry amount of this vague quintessence she had, it was depleting over time. Ansem had theorized that this was due to the special circumstances of her creation, and that, eventually, it would become so critical that her body would begin to breakdown and she would... and Namine would...

 

 

_Die! I'm going to die! I don't know when or how long from now, but I'm going to die..._

 

 

That fact terrified her. Not only that she would die, not only that she knew she was dying, but that she was afraid of death. Namine had figured, due to the abuse she had suffered, she would welcome the inevitable end with a shrug. That it would be a peaceful end to a miserable unlife. But now, the grim visage of death stared her down and the artistic girl could only quiver in terror and dread.

 

 

Because she knew none of those things Riku said would ever come to pass. No matter how much Namine wanted it, no matter how hard she dream of it, even if it sounded like heaven, heaven was forever beyond the reach of the Memory Witch. She would never get to see Riku reunite with his friends. She would never meet and befriend Kairi. Never get a chance to hear Sora say 'Thank you' and to beg for his forgiveness.

 

 

Namine would never get to see Roxas again.

 

 

_But I can't let fear rule me._ Namine tried her best to ignore her ghostly digits, as she found a comfortable place to sit down along the beach. _I may be a goner, but I can't just sit idly by and fade away. I can still help, in my own little way._ A little bit of shade was cast on her from a nearby paopu tree. The star-shaped fruits had yet to fully grow and ripen. _This is the right spot. His home. His favourite place. I can make a connection this time, I'm sure of it._

 

 

Being born from Kairi's heart and Sora's body gave Namine a unique connection the spiky-haired Key Bearer. One that had only ever brought pain to him and his Nobody and all their loved ones. For the longest time – for basically her entire existence – the blonde had only ever regarded that connection and the powers that came with it to be a curse, designed only to hurt and destroy. It was how she got her epitaph of “Witch”, after all.

 

 

But, maybe, with Sora stolen and locked away from everyone else, perhaps a direct line to his heart was what was needed. A connection to his heart and memories, and to the other hearts that slumbered within him.

 

 

Pushing aside her personal fears and the anxiety she held for her dear friends, Namine shut her eyes, and reached out into the great beyond of space all around her, feeling her heart pulled away from the sun-drenched paradise of Destiny Islands, trying to find and connect with Sora.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you guys Namine would not be in for an easy road.
> 
> Another sub-plot of II I've always had issue with is Sora learning the mystery of Roxas' identity. Namely, that despite it being an internal reveal for the characters, the clues Sora gathers are so esoteric and obtuse that there was no way he could ever figure it out. And then's he is out and out told who Roxas is, rending the whole mystery moot. Here, Kairi does figure out who Roxas truly is, she has the pieces, but she assembles the puzzle incorrectly, making some incorrect guesses, as we'll see shortly.
> 
> Training scenes are always tricky to do outside of time lapses and montages. Trying to organically get the development and point across while still being entertaining. Mixing it in with a bit of character stuff is my only real solution to try and make it palatable, so I hope that succeeded for you guys. And don't ever expect me to go deeper into how magic works beyond these simple descriptions; I am not one for constructing hard systems and I personally dislike stories that spend way too much time creating magic rules just for the sake of rules.
> 
> As for Kairi and her struggles with the light, I had always wanted to do something where Kairi actively resents her status as a POH because, yeah, honestly, it's brought her more harm than good. It's also an attempt to actually build a bit on the established mythos and give some context to the bloody POH powers and all that, because the games have done a piss poor job at explaining it. Like, it's been a central part of the lore from game one and one of your (supposed by not really) main characters is counted among the ranks, but the games take zero opportunity to explore what these power are, what they can, what they mean. I don't need a fully breakdown and explanation of everything, but something would be nice. When I say stuff like “creative doesn't care about Kairi” this is the stuff I'm referring to. She has the potential to be an incredibly interesting and pivotal character with a deep connection to a central piece of the franchise's lore, but it's been nearly twenty years and no effort has been taken to explore it!
> 
> So, you know, I was gonna lighten up on my third (and last, I promise) Re:Mind reminder but that trailer pissed me off to levels unforeseen, so strap yourselves in folks.
> 
> Do not buy the Re: Mind DLC. If you do, you are complicit in Square's anti-consumer practices. You are giving them a free pass to do this over and over again in the future. Because this is beyond anything I could have imagined. Everything that should have been in the actual product is here, a year after date, for a premium price. A full, proper third act to their shit story. And the fact that they just bald-faced lied about some shit too is the cherry on top. They either knew people would want all of this stuff and so they knowingly set it aside for a premium add-on, or they realized how badly they screwed up, but instead of showing any moral courage, they decided to try to make a buck off their mistake to boot.
> 
> Like, if the usual suspects – EA, Activision, Ubisoft, Bethesda – pulled this, it would be a major headline on every gaming news site and they would be raked through the coals. But Square gets a pass because...?
> 
> Square in 2019: The Final Fantasy aspect of the crossover isn't necessary in future games  
> Square in 2020: 30 bucks for Leon and Yuffie. Pay up, bitches
> 
> Oh hey Kairi can fly and shoot laser beams. Cool. Would have been nice if she did that during the god damned war. You know? When here friends were dying. When she was being kidnapped. When she was being murdered. Guess she can't do that shit when her left arm is being lightly grasped! Characters other than Sora with their own agency? What's that? Seriously, she looks like the biggest idiot for not pulling this shit out when she and her friends were in mortal danger.
> 
> I don't want to see the “Kairi's training wasn't obviously enough” excuse ever again. It's done. It's settled. The reason she got fridged in III was because of this franchises notoriously awful writing for female characters and nothing more. The creative team never gave two shits about her that entire time.
> 
> Oh Square, you've mistreated Kairi for ten years and then lied to your fan base with misleading marketing and then brutally murdered her in your cynical, garbage game but now you made her playable in premium DLC! Oh bless you Square, kudos! Let me fellate you lovingly for doing the bare minimum possible!
> 
> But above all else, regardless of any of this utter bullshit, nothing has changed. Kairi dies. Sora dies. Every other character is useless. The DLC is nothing more than a shaggy dog story with a miserable ending. It's as hollow and emotionless as the base game. An attempt to polish a turd.
> 
> Fuck Kingdom Hearts. Fuck Square-Enix. See you guys next time.


	19. Shadows Over Agrabah

**She Will Light The Way  
Chapter Nineteen  
Shadows Over Agrabah**   
  


 

“Alright, we've wasted enough time, let's get to it. I hereby call this meeting of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee to order and – wait, where's Cloud?”

 

 

“He's off doing his own stuff. You know Cloud.” Tifa offered in response to Leon's query. “Besides, is it really that important? It's not like he's an official member or anything.”

 

 

The scarred warrior turned committee leader pinched at the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes in exasperation. If it wasn't one thing, then it was another. “Seeing how he's actually stayed put for a month's time I thought things might have changed with him. Regardless, let's get to work. We have a lot of ground to cover today...”

 

 

Gathered in their makeshift conference room, sitting at a semi-circular table that had a computer monitor mounted on the interior edge oddly enough, Leon began to address his troops and doll out assignments for the coming week. Save a few accounted for absences (and one that was unaccounted for), it was the usual suspects for the Restoration Committee: Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie, Cid, and Merlin all in attendance and at the beck and call of their impromptu leader. The past month had been an absolute whirlwind for the six prime members of the Committee. Even beyond the typical upkeep and maintenance required to heal their home world, the Organization's sudden attack had blindsided them, made them all too aware at how spotty their defences were, and how easy it would to lose everything they had worked so hard to regain. The various members of the Committee – both regular and irregular – as well as their frequent contacts and allies, and even the general citizenry of the town were all working to the best of their abilities. Leon was all too thankful for the willingness of his friends and companions. Heaven knows he never imagined himself being in a leadership position like this, accepting all of these burdens and responsibilities; having others he could trust assisting him was the only thing keeping him stable.

 

 

Of course, his graciousness aside, there were times the man formerly known as Squall Leonhart thought that the main reason everyone was working so hard – specifically those gathered in this room – was because if they didn't occupy themselves with their tasks, guilt and dread would seep into their hearts. Worry for what had become of Sora and Kairi...

 

 

“...Good news, the grotto beneath the city is still in tact. The water is plentiful and pure, too. We'll need to begin assembling materials and a team to repair the aqueducts and distribution network. Then, and this would be months away, maybe establish a supply line to transport water to survivors elsewhere in the country...” Briefly, Leon looked up from his piles and piles of notes to find Aerith was wistfully staring out a window, eyes distant and unfocused. How very unlike her.

 

 

“Is something the matter, Aerith?” Leon addressed the brunette horticulturalist.

 

 

“Oh? What?” Aerith shook her head and snapped to attention, all eyes falling onto her. “No, I was just... my mind drifted for a second and I couldn't help but think about what's happened to Kairi. Where she is and how she's doing.”

 

 

Leon nodded, grimly. “I understand, Aerith.” He did, really. Everyone had the same general unease a year ago when Sora set off from Traverse Town on his journey. Only, this time, things seemed much more perilous and dire. The depressed and nervous Key Bearer lacking Sora's energy and optimism didn't help matters, either. “But we have work to do as well. Important work. We need to focus on what's in front of us. What's possible.”

 

 

“I think that's the issue here, Leon.” Tifa interjected, sticking up for her longtime best friend. “We could have done more for Kairi. It was possible.” In frustration, the martial artist rapped her knuckles on the table, before clenching her hand into a fist. “All we did was get her a set of magic clothes and some companions who can be described as sketchy at best, and then shooed her out the door. We _should_ have done more...”

 

 

“I have to agree with Miss Lockhart.” Merlin said. Shaking his head and clicking his tongue in dismay, the wizened wizard continued. “She is of this world, same as any of you. Why, I remember having tea with her grandmother every Thursday for years. I remember the day she was born, I tell you!” For a moment, it looked like Merlin was about to sink into his memories, shutting his eyes in fond remembrance, before snapping them back open. “Even if time was of the essence, we could have done more to connect with her and aid her. Why, I could have conjured a timeless realm and put her through a full battery of tests and training!” In the seat next to blue-clad wizard, Yuffie began to snort and chortle at the comment.

 

 

“Yo, no offence Merlin, but that might be the worst idea I've ever heard.” The scion of Wutai said through a wall of obnoxious snickers. “You? Train Kairi? You don't know the first thing about combat. About Keyblades! It would have done way more harm than good for her.”

 

 

“Kid's got a point.” Cid said, nodding along with the ninja girl.

 

 

Merlin sank in his seat, sighing sadly. An admission of his wrongness. “Yes, yes, I suppose so. Still, much like the lot of you, I can't help but feel guilty sitting on the sidelines.” Despite having earned the victory, Yuffie continued to natter on about the point.

 

 

“I mean, seriously, I don't think there's a word to describe how dumb an idea that is!” Yuffie crowed, proving she was a sore winner. In the background, both Tifa and Aerith tried to talk her down, but the mouthy ninja verbally steamrolled right over them. “It would take some special level of brain-dead nitwit to come up and implement that!”

 

 

“Yuffie...”

 

 

“What's next? While you're training her, you'll also train some colossal dirtbag who's betrayed every ally he's ever had -”

 

 

“Yuffie...”

 

 

“- _and_ once kidnapped the girl?”

 

 

“Alright, Yuffie, you've gone far enough.” Aerith admonished, firm but tough. Yuffie shrank back in response. Whenever she had to be commanding or stern, Aerith never raised her voice. Instead, everyone else quieted down and listened up for her.

 

 

“I was just being honest is all...”

 

 

“There's a difference between being truthful and being mean.”

 

 

“Honestly, I'm surprised to see you get so passionate, Yuffie.” Tifa pointed out. “Here I thought you didn't like Kairi.”

 

 

The black-haired ninja puffed up her chest defensively at the accusation. “It's not that I don't like her. It's just... the waterworks and pity party bothered me, ya know? Sora never pulled that crap when this all started. He just smiled, put on his big boy pants, and went to work.” Then, with eyes shifting back and forth, Yuffie quickly added an addendum to her statement, so fast and mumbled that the only audible was “And he's really cute...”

 

 

Tifa scrutinized all of her friends remarks, narrowing her eyes at the ninja. “Okay, all that aside, you of all people are going to give her a hard time for crying? I remember a time when you cried so much and so often everyone called you the 'Water Lily of Wutai'.”

 

 

“Hey! I was nine! And my dad just died, okay? Jeez!”

 

 

“If everyone is done.” Leon's voice rose above the clamour, his rumbling tenor silencing the others. “I understand how everyone feels. I understand that we all feel helpless and frustrated that we can't help our friends and that we have to blindly rely on kids who shouldn't be wrapped up in this mess.” It was the worst feeling in the world, the same one Leon had when they sent Sora on his way. Pinning all your hopes on some random kid who shouldn't be there, not being able to help, and feeling guilty for putting that kind of weight on their shoulders. Leon growled in annoyance, as his stomach and heart roiled.

 

 

“Frustrated and helpless aren't the words, Leon, this is bullshit!” Tifa snapped, before averting her gaze and showing remorse. A combination of her choice of words and losing her cool. “Sorry, sorry. I mean, we can't even contact her to see how she's doing! And Merlin was right, she's one of us. The Islands may be Kairi's home, but she came from Hollow Bastion. She's our Princess, for crying out loud, and we can't even protect her!”

 

 

Leon mutely conceded the point to the raven-haired brawler. About not being able to contact Kairi or the Gullwings. Their current set up for off-world communication had very limited range – basically a few dozen kilometers beyond the world's orbit – and the array was damaged in the attack, too. Perhaps he could expedite the repairs and upgrades, have Cid and his team get to work on them...

 

 

As for Tifa's other point...

 

 

“Trust me, no one knows better about Kairi and her family than me. I was attending the Officer's Academy before this all went to hell. I wanted to be royal guard.” He would never admit it aloud, but soon after Kairi had left, Leon dreamed of what might have been. A world without Maleficent's attack and Xehanort's machinations. A world with Royal Guardsman Squall Leonhart, ably serving Princess Kairi Ralleone and her siblings. No Heartless. No Nobodies. No Keyblades. He and Rinoa would have -

 

 

The roiling in his stomach picked up, as Squall shook his head, grimacing angrily at himself for focusing on impossible things.

 

 

“Look, this isn't on the agenda, but I need to show it to you. We did some digging through the main system files and found an archival video” Leon shoved aside his paperwork, before motioning to the monitor on the interior edge. “I was planning to show it you all at some point in time. Considering the current topic of conversation, now is as good at time as any.”

 

 

“'We'?”

 

 

“Tron and I.”

 

 

One of the first things the Committee had accomplished following the fallout of the Organization's attack was wresting control of Ansem's computer system away from the rogue Master Control Program. To that end, Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, and Yuffie had themselves digitized and scoured the system of the malicious AI, before installing Tron as the new administrative program. Having an ally linked to the mainframe which governed the castle and all it's system was a godsend. In addition to removing a possible threat to the town, they now had easy access to files and records from before The Fall that would have otherwise been inaccessible.

 

 

“Tron, bring up video file RGL-0708, please.”

 

 

The computer screen flared to life in a heartbeat, the chipper tones of the program known as Tron beaming through. “ _Right away, User Leon._ ”

 

 

In another instant, an image filled the monitor, a static shot of a group assembled in the bowels of Ansem the Wise's laboratory. They may have been rendered in stark black and white, but the original nucleus of Organization XIII was unmistakable, even in low resolution form: Xemnas, Xigbar, Xaldin, Vexen, Lexaeus, and Zexion. A low murmur rose from the table at the sight of the Nobodies, with Cid going so far as to spit and curse.

 

 

“Y'know, I can honestly say I used to respect each and everyone of those guys standin' there.” The grizzled pilot and engineer said with a scowl creasing his lips, pointing at the screen as he did. “Men of science and passion, each 'n everyone of 'em! But now, knowin' what they did, what they're doin'... ah! It really pisses me off! Makes me sick!”

 

 

Tifa sadly agreed, speaking over a storm of swears and curses too foul to repeat in polite company. “That's something we've all had to deal with recently, isn't it? Learning that the people we once admired and respected have plenty of skeletons in their closets...” The crimes of Xehanort and his cronies were well known by this point, but between Mickey's info and having access to his own network, Ansem's unsavory actions were coming to light as well. The Committee was still trying to figure out how to handle such sensitive and damning information.

 

 

“Now, what I'm about to show you is highly confidential. You have to keep it a secret.” Leon warned, which drew everyone back in to whatever it was he and Tron had dug up. They were clearly enticed. “What have you found, Leon” was written in large print over each of their faces. “You can't even tell the other members of the Committee, I'll show it to them in time, is that understood?” The five others all agreed to these terms. “Also, what we found, this video it's... disturbing, to put it mildly. If you guys want me to stop it or you need to leave the room, then don't hesitate to say so, okay?”

 

 

Again, there was general agreement from the other Committee members, but their curiosity only grew in response to Leon's serious, yet tantalizing warnings. Clearly, he had stumbled upon something of immense magnitude.

 

 

“Okay. Tron, start it up.”

 

 

The screen flickered again, the video beginning to play in complete silence. The footage chugged along, skipping frames while the screen was constantly bombarded with static and snow. Still, there was enough information present to draw some conclusions as to what was happening. All the Organization members were chatting among themselves, eagerly examining their bodies; clearly whenever this happened, it was right after they had thrown aside their humanity and became Nobodies. Not long after, two others joined the Nobodies, strangers being forcibly ushered on screen by the hulking Lexaeus.

 

 

“Now who might those two be?” Merlin asked when the toy boys entered frame. They were both teenagers, though on the older end of that spectrum, one with wild spiky hair, while the other wore his straight and voluminous.

 

 

“It would be easier to know if we could hear anything.” Yuffie complained, before turning to pester Leon. “What gives, Squall? Crank it up!”

 

 

“ _Unfortunately, while I can pull plenty of video from the security cameras, most of the audio files are corrupted and unrecoverable._ ” Tron answered for the Committee leader, as the scene on the monitor continued to play out. Xigbar and Xaldin had approached the youths, menacingly, clearly wanting to execute the two of them there and then. “ _As for the identity of the two mysterious Users, User Leon and I pulled up some records and have identified them as Lea Rose and Isa Lycanis.”_

 

 

“And who the heck are they suppose to be?”

 

 

“From what we learned, they were lifelong friends. Orphaned at a young age, they bounced around the foster care system together for quite some time, before dropping out of it completely at age sixteen.” Leon recalled from memory. He had taken great pains to learn and memorize everything he could about the two, given what he had seen. “Beyond that, there's nothing of note or interest, save a very minor rap sheet. Mostly petty theft, but they were known to have attempted to sneak into the castle on more than one occasion.” Looking at the screen, Leon couldn't help but frown. “Guess, in the end, they finally succeeded.”

 

 

Quiet overtook the room again, the six taking to watching the scene play out of the monitor. It seemed cooler heads had prevailed, with Xemnas getting his minions to back off, before the Superior of the (then) fledgling Organization approached the boys, speaking as he did. Judging from his body language, he seemed to be offering them a deal. Lea – the one with the wild hair and the scrawnier of the two youths – seemed hesitant to accept whatever it was Xemnas had offered, but Isa jumped at the opportunity, nodding and clearly mouthing “Yes”. Only after his friend agreed, did Lea reluctantly affirm his compliance as well.

 

 

Then, everything went to hell.

 

 

Without warning, Xemnas' darted his hand forward, the extremity cloaked in a nimbus of dark energy, effortlessly piercing through the chests of Isa and Lea in quick, efficient order. The boys collapsed in pain, all life fading from their bodies, as the Restoration Committee watched in horror as their hearts drifted from the gaping holes in their chest, before being consumed by darkness. Tense second passed, before the bodies of the two boys rose up, but not in a natural way. No, oh no. Instead, their lifeless corpses writhed and wriggled, rose and fell like rag dolls; limbs flopped and snaked and lashed around, stretching and distending while their torsos contorted at odd angles, as if their bodies were completely boneless! Lea stood to full height – beyond full height – as his arms, legs, and body were stretched like silly putty, while Isa had his entire being twisted a full three-hundred and sixty degrees at the rib cage, while his shoulders separated, growing wider and broader. It was disgusting and horrifying to watch, beyond rational explanation to behold! Yuffie turned a little bit green at the gills, watching the nauseating sight, while Tifa bounced a foot up and down against the tiled floor, with Cid clenching his teeth so hard his toothpick snapped in two.

 

 

Finally, in one final burst of blackness which blotted out the monitor for a moment, the transformation finishing with the two being garbed in black cloaks. The lanky and gawkish form of Axel was joined by the inhumanly cold and savage Saix, both Nobodies looking like they had aged to adulthood while their bodies were turned into fleshy, disgusting pretzels.

 

 

Then, before Xemnas could welcome and christen his newest followers, the image came to a jarring halt, before skipping frames again. Leon held his breath, knowing the worst was yet to come. The video quickly started up, but now in a new room with a new cast of characters. A regally dressed and well-groomed man and a woman, looking forlorn and unsure, discussing something in a well-furbished apartments.

 

 

As Leon did when he first watched the video, the others quickly recognized the people on screen. It may have been ten years, but it would take a lot longer to forget.

 

 

“That... those are the King and Queen!” Aerith exclaimed, breathlessly, standing up from her seat when the realization hit her. “King Kyros and Queen Amelie. Kairi's parents!”

 

 

Indeed, the long-departed monarchs of their home nation had appeared on screen, the first time any of them had seen them since their untimely and mysterious deaths. Slowly, Leon could see everyone put the piece together what Leon had found. Tifa's jaw went slack in horror, while Cid blanched at the realization.

 

 

“Whoa! Don't tell me Leon, did you find -”

 

 

Without warning, a Dark Corridor flared to life within the archival footage, taking the despondent royals by surprise. King Kyros stood protectively between his wife and the portal, as Saix and Axel strode out of the abyss.

 

 

“Yeah...” Leon answered in a quiet tone, lowering his eyes away from the screen. The scene played out as it did the last dozen times he watched it. “We finally found out what happened to the rest of the royal family.” The King cautiously and warily addressed the two intruders, aware of the danger they presented. Axel seemed skittish in the footage, nervously trying to banter with the two, while Saix wordlessly and gravely marched forward. “This is all speculation, but it seems the Organization had a little test of initiation for their two newest members...”

 

 

In mute horror, unable to turn away, the Restoration Committee watched the heinous acts play out on screen. With monstrous strength, Saix threw Kyros aside, brutally hurling the King off-screen. Queen Amelie charged forth, fury contorting her normally kind features, but was intercepted by Axel, the Nobody wrapping his long arms around the woman, holding her back. Spirited as ever, Amelie struggled against her captor, breaking an arm free and driving her elbow repeatedly into the Nobody's sternum and head. After one too many shots, Axel spitefully drilled the Queen with a blow to the head, dazing her.

 

 

Coming back from the right edge of the screen, Kyros came back into view, wielding a sword against the two assassins. The King charged at Saix, the savage Nobody rearing back to counter-strike. The latter was too strong, too fast. The King never stood a chance.

 

 

Blood spattered against the camera lens, as Saix turned to the captive Amelie with murderous intent.

 

 

Cid growled and cursed some more – every euphemism in the book.

 

 

Merlin looked sick, only averting his gaze at the last minute, unable to stand the brutality anymore.

 

 

Yuffie whimpered and covered her eyes the moment the King was struck down.

 

 

Tifa feebly smashed her fists against the table, moved to the edge of tears, colour drained from her face.

 

 

Aerith never looked away, never blinked, but the warmth and kindness had long faded from her face and eyes.

 

 

Mercifully, the horror show came to an end, with Tron instantly changing the screen to a more neutral image so no one had to dwell on those nightmarish visuals.

 

 

“The Organization – specifically Axel and Saix – killed the King and Queen.” Leon pronounced after several minutes of deafening silence. He had discovered this video several days ago, and had been piecing together the timeline since then. Both Xehanort and Ansem wanted to send Kairi off-world for their own purposes, Ansem succeeding first, doing so before whatever happened to him happened. Ansem the Wise was banished, Xehanort and the other apprentices became the Organization, and eliminated the royal family. And all the chaos and destabilization they had caused proved the perfect opening for Maleficent to swoop in and begin her invasion.

 

 

“Do we...” Aerith began, before chewing on her words. She seemed unsure as to what to say at this juncture. “Do we know what happened to Kairi's siblings? Or her grandmother, Lady Farron?”

 

 

“I don't have any evidence like this, but... we can draw our conclusions as to what happened to Prince Nautus and Princess Mayren from here.” Leon answered. Honestly, Leon was thankful there wasn't video like this for the children. He didn't think he could bring himself to view it.

 

 

Merlin despaired at the revelation, lowering his head and muttering a prayer. “Oh, Tricia... I'm so sorry...”

 

 

“Again, please don't tell anyone else about this.” Leon reminded the others, wanting to move on from this unpleasant conversation as fast as possible. “I'll inform Barret and Reeve and Rinoa and the others in due time, but we cannot afford this to leak to the public without proper preparation. It could cause mass panic.” At the very least, if the Organization did ever show up to attack Hollow Bastion again, it could be used to galvanize the populace against the villains, but that line of thinking was too pragmatic for Leon to dwell on right now.

 

 

Again, everyone agreed to their leader's terms. Well, almost everyone, as Yuffie stood up from the table, palms slamming against the surface, rising up to the towering total of her five-foot-four of fury.

 

 

“This is bullshit, Squall! We learn all this and we're suppose to just keep it bottled up for who knows how long?” The ninja girl ranted and raved, her entire body trembling with anger. Leon sighed wearily in response. Much as he wanted to tell her off, he couldn't necessarily be mad at her for all this. It was a completely reasonable reaction.

 

 

“Yuffie, I understand, but we need to -”

 

 

Quick as her area of expertise would suggest, Yuffie cut him off. “No, you don't understand! Stop saying that like a broken record.” Yuffie took a moment to collect herself, huffing in a irked manner, while the others gave her the space and breathing room they required. The petite ninja was young and rambunctious, all id and no self-restraint. Usually the other Committee members had to keep her in check from saying or doing something impulsive, but given the tension in the room and the uneasy feelings in everyone's hearts, one of her off the cuff rants might do good for everyone. “This goes beyond just what happened to the King and Queen. This is about _everything_ the Organization has done. I may have been really young when it all went down, but what Cid said is right, everyone admired and respected Xehanort and the other apprentices. They were from this world, this city. They were one of us.” Yuffie's anger ebbed, sorrow and despondent confusion filling in the gaps, as she gestured wildly with her hands. “And they threw it all away. They betrayed us! As far as I'm concerned, the Organization is the cause of everything bad that happened here. Everything that happened the last ten years, not just to here, but to Solanvrey and Crystallum and everywhere else, too! Not just the King and Queen, but every other death. All that blood is on their hands, so to hell with them!”

 

 

Yuffie practically collapsed back into her seat, drained of all her angry energy, and lower her head down, burying it within her arms. Aerith reached an arm across, placing a comforting hand on the girl's upper back.

 

 

At this point, Leon just threw his hands up (figuratively) at the mess he had made. “This was clearly a mistake.” Seeing everyone stressed out and aggravated in such a manner was counter-productive. “I should have waited for a better time before showing you that.”

 

 

“I disagree with you, my boy, but I thank you for your concession.” Came Merlin, after quickly clearing his throat. “There is no better time like the present, and, despite the awfulness of this reality, it's better for us to know and face truth than to be ignorant to it.”

 

 

Leon nodded, though his face remained glum and joyless. “Regardless, I think it's best if we call it a day here. Take an hour or two to take a breather and wind down, relax. I'll email you your assignments for the week. Dismissed.”

 

 

Quickly, the others gathered themselves and their things and made their exit, wordlessly and mirthlessly, clearly still trying to process everything that had happened. Leon went back to his paperwork, trying to look busy to avoid any further conversations, especially when he saw Aerith approach him out of the corner of his eye. The gunblade wielder shuffled the same five pages around for a full minute, while Aerith just waited, her typical peaceful and pleasant countenance plastered on her face, looking expectantly at her friend and leader.

 

 

“Ahem.” She finally said, softly. Leon sighed, knowing he wasn't going to win this one.

 

 

“Yes, Aerith?”

 

 

“I just wanted to say, Leon,” the flower girl began, “that I know the ugliness of today has upset you, but you don't need to let the burden of this fall on your shoulders alone.” Leon opened his mouth to reply, but found himself quickly cut off. “Yes, I know you're the leader and all that, but we all have an equal stake in this. Everything that happens to Hollow Bastion – good and bad – effects all of us equally.” Then, the brunette's smile shifted into something a bit more mischievous and playful. “Unless, that is, you'd like me telling a certain someone how much you've been stressing yourself out?”

 

 

It took a lot of mental effort for Leon to restrain himself from responding to that comment. He was used to Yuffie's barbs and comments; Aerith was far more sly about things. “Thank you.” He grumbled out, finally dropping the ruse of his paperwork and setting it all aside. “But, in all honesty, I was just struggling with the idea of breaking all this to Kairi.” Kairi had little to no memory of her life on Hollow Bastion – everyone in the Committee knew that – and clearly loved her home on the Islands, so Leon wasn't even sure how she would react. Surely she would be upset at the loss of life, but how personally would she take it? She had already suffered so much in such a short time, he didn't want to be responsible for more trauma. All the same... “She's our Princess. She's the last of the Ralleone family. She has the right to know.”

 

 

“That she does.” Aerith nodded, sagely. “But don't go and try to change the subject. You don't need to put all this on yourself.” She then paused, placing a finger on her cheek in thought. “Actually, I don't think I can trust you to monitor yourself. Tron? Could you be a dear and keep us abreast of Leon's schedule, make sure he doesn't work himself into exhaustion?”  
  


 

“ _I'll do my best, User Aerith!_ ”

 

 

“Wonderful! Thank you.”

 

 

The Committee leader groaned and shook his head. “Thank you for your concern, Aerith, but I'll be fine.” Leon didn't spend all those years training and waiting and hoping only to breakdown at the very end. He fully intended to take advantage of this new chapter of his life, but business came first. The city and the kingdom had to be rebuilt first. Thankfully, this was enough to satisfy the flower girl, who finally made her exit as well.

 

 

“As for what to do regarding Kairi, we can cross that bridge when we get there.” She said as she left the room. Then, Aerith quickly popped her head back into view, adding with a knowing look, “Together.”

 

 

Yet another sigh escaped the lips of Leon, as he leaned back in his chair and facepalmed. Sometimes having such well-meaning and kind friends was beyond frustrating. Still, his train of thought traveled from the others and the work they needed to accomplish back to Kairi. Their new Key Bearer. He still couldn't quite believe the Keyblade chose her of all people, Leon was even more surprised and dismayed than when he first met Sora. But, he had been wrong about the boy; he quickly proved to be more than worthy of the weapon. Clearly, whatever power decided who could wield a Keyblade could see something humans could not. Leon forced his skepticism aside and chose to trust the Keyblade and the redheaded Princess.

 

 

“Still... Tifa wasn't wrong. We could have done more to help her. Maybe whenever she returns here...” Leon idly mumbled to himself, thinking he was alone at the moment.

 

 

“ _Should I cancel your meeting with the other Committee members tomorrow?_ ” Tron asked, reminding the scarred warrior of his presence. “ _I will admit, I do not understand the physical restraints and needs of the Users, but perhaps Aerith is right. Perhaps you need a break._ ”

 

 

“No, it's fine Tron.” Leon brushed aside the concerns of the AI, shaking his head. Even the computer was concerned for his well being. What a time to be alive. “They have the right to know, too, and it's better to get this ugliness out of the way.” A thought then struck the defacto leader of Hollow Bastion. He couldn't change the past and do more to help Kairi from a month ago, he couldn't go out into the great beyond and help her now, but maybe he could boost her spirit and aid her aching heart in the near future. “I have to go out to check on some construction work, but I have a task for you Tron. Dig into all the archival footage and documents you have access to. Try and find whatever you can that's about Kairi.” After a pause, Leon added, “Kairi and her family. Even if she can't remember the past, she deserves to know whatever she can about who she once was and where can came from. That's the least we can do for her.”

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

As she stepped out of the beam of light that formed their warp system, Kairi felt herself assailed by a wall of heat and hot air. Dry, dusty heat that caused her to immediately break out in sweat and frazzle her hair. She was used to the hot summer days on the Islands, but this stifling heat was an entire different reality than the warm sun and fresh, tropical breeze.

 

 

Panting, she looked over to her companions as they exited the pillar. Yuna and Rikku seemed unfazed by the climate, Rikku going so far as to take a deep breath and revel in the new environ.

 

 

“Aah! Sand and smoke and heat... smells just like Home.” Rikku said sarcastically.

 

 

“The less said about that, the better.” Came Paine, as she stepped through the beam. Kairi's brows immediately arched when she saw the dark swordswoman was carrying not only her broadsword, but a black parasol, which shaded her entire body.

 

 

“Paine. Explain.”

 

 

“If I stood in this sun for ten minutes, I would look like a lobster.” The eerily pale woman replied, almost grumbling, clearly not happy with the arrangement. “I knew where we were headed, so I came prepared.”

 

 

“So you guys have been here before?” Kairi asked. The Gullwings never really talked much about their exploits while under Maleficent's employ, not that she blamed them for clamming up about that ordeal.

 

 

Rikku skipped forward, goggles on to block out the sun and sand, to survey their immediate area. “Oh yeah, tons of times! Agrabah has a lot of great stuff to steal an – UH! I mean...” Rikku trailed off and stammered, trying to come up with some sort of excuse to cover her kleptomaniacal ways.

 

 

When they identified what their next destination was, a world Sora had been, Kairi made sure to do her research and commit every fact about the desert world to memory. Allies and enemies and general knowledge of the locales and Heartless varieties that populated the world. Even if their missions were much more simplistic and straightforward (their trips to the Land of Dragons and Atlantica ended within a few hours, without Kairi or the others meeting or conversing with anyone) it didn't hurt to have some extra preparations in case things got more complicated than “find and destroy the Stone”. And things usually did get more complicated.

 

 

Not to mention, Kairi knew well enough that a Princess of Heart resided on this world. Perhaps Jasmine had a bit more insight and knowledge regarding the Light they both possessed and could help answer some of the doubts she had been having. Kairi was certain they could afford a little detour to visit her, regardless of whatever complication inevitably arose.

 

 

That first problem hit her faster than she ever would of expected, as the Key Bearer turned about to face the city proper, her jaw going slack.

 

 

“Oh my lord... What happened here?”

 

 

The Gummi Ship's teleportation array had deposited them high atop the retaining wall which surrounding the royal city, giving them a clear and direct view of the entire city... and finding it all in utter ruin! Sandstone buildings smashed and torn down. Sandy streets rent asunder and destroyed. The bustling bazaar was empty and silent. A section of the wall to their west was demolished, a gaping hole blown straight through it. Off in the distance, on the far end of the city, the royal palace looked to be in relatively decent condition, but that wasn't saying much considering the rest of the city was reduced to near ruin.

 

 

“This is...” Kairi tried to formulate the words, but couldn't find them in her. The state of things just kept growing more dire. Twilight Town was bad. San Fransokyo was worst. Agrabah was simply the worst.

 

 

“To be fair, Agrabah was always a bit of a pit.” Paine brought up, sniffing at the harsh, dry air. “The palace and the surrounding area were really the only well-to-do parts of the city.”

 

 

“Half the city being destroyed though?” Yuna countered, equally as horrified as Kairi. “Especially considering Sora was here less than two months ago. Something has gone horriby wrong.” The brunette then turned to her cousin and told Rikku, “Get out your radar and let's find the Stone.”

 

 

“No.” Came Kairi, before clearing her throat. She was still trying to work on her “leader voice”; trying to part the difference between sounding confident and assured but not bossy and overbearing. “Before we do anything, I want to check in on Jasmine and Aladdin. Make sure they're safe, and maybe we can learn about what happened here.”

 

 

The Gullwing's acquiesced to the the orders of the Key Bearer without much argument, though enacting Kairi's vision was much easier said than done. Getting off of the top of the wall was a struggle in of itself, but that was before dealing with the march through the streets towards the palace. The blazing desert sun was beating on the quartet mercifully, Kairi being drenched in sweat despite the enchantments woven into her clothing, while her skin flushed and reddened. At one point, Kairi tried to douse herself and the others with a Watera spell, in a vain attempt to cool them down, but was talked out of those rash actions by Yuna. Something about magically created water not having the same properties as actual water, not to mention the effect of the water evaporating on their skin would only make things worse. The redhead conceded the point, as she and her companions trudged on.

 

 

And “trudged” was the right term for the journey. The overwhelming heat and sunlight, the lack of water, and the dry air were bad enough, but the rubble scattered about the city of Agrabah made things all the worse. Multiple times, as Kairi and the others struggled to find their footing across uneven stone and jagged causeways, only to find their way barred by a mountain of broken stone and debris, forcing them to either struggle up or through the barricade, or turn back and find a new way to traverse towards the palace.

 

 

Kairi also noted that,while the damage to the physical city was far worse, otherwise the situation was just like San Fransokyo. A city and it's populace assailed by the forces of darkness, driving it to the point of ruin. And it was just as eerily and impossibly quiet as the technological wonderland, too. There was not a single human to be found outside of Kairi and the Gullwings. While most of the citizens of San Fransokyo were hiding out of sight from the Heartless, here on Agrabah, most of the buildings were a wreck, there didn't seem to be anywhere for anyone to hide, it made Kairi wonder dark thoughts. Like, had the Heartless already swallowed up most of the people? Were they too late to help them? The Key Bearing Princess shuddered at the thought.

 

 

Speaking of Heartless, while there were no humans or other living things about, those wicked shadows still found the time to bar the quartet's passage. Bandits and Fortune Tellers and all manner of monsters appearing to inflict grievous and fatal harm to the Key Bearer.

 

 

“These things never know when to give up, do they?” Kairi asked rhetorically, as she drew up into her battle stance. It was okay, really. Kairi was looking for an excuse to brandish some of the new techniques she had recently learned. A group of mooks and grunts would make the perfect training dummies for her.

 

 

Making a beeline for a group of Bandits, intending for a proper sword fight, Kairi couldn't help but note with wry amusement that Paine had eschewed her shield in exchange for keeping her parasol up. It didn't seem to impact her ability to strike down Heartless, at the very least. Focusing back on her chosen opponents, Kairi put all of her training to practice, following the steps that Yuna and Paine had drilled into her. Summon her mana from her core. Direct it through her body and into her Keyblade. Pool it there, lit it build, find that spark and then...

 

 

_**FWOOM** _

 

 

Resplendent flames erupted around the haft of Destiny's Embrace, wreathing the flowery Keyblade in a bright, blazing blossom of magical fire! With her Flametongue successful, Kairi clashed with the first Bandit, sword meeting sword, battering the Heartless away while raining sparks and heat down on the monster. The second time they clashed, Destiny's Embrace cleaved right through the scimitar of the Heartless, the Bandit staggering back to it's brethren, while Kairi planted her foot and pivoted, unleashing a crescent wave of searing flame that caught three of the Heartless and instantly immolated them where they stood. Kairi actually blinked in shock at how that went, staring at her still aflame Keyblade. It seemed her attacks had a bit more oomph while charged up like this.

 

 

More bandits descended upon the redhead, with Kairi taking up arms again, feeling confident and energized, and swinging at the nearest Heartless. This time, however, the Bandit successfully parried the Keyblade, rattling the girl and, without warning, snuffing out the magic flame that engulfed her weapon. Kairi gaped at her Keyblade, completely losing sight on what was happening around her, as the Heartless she was engaged with swiped the distracted girl in the chest. Falling onto her bottom, Kairi could only watch as the very same Bandit took to the air, darting towards her in a furious somersault, it's curved blade turning it into a buzzing blade of death. She brought her blade up in a panic, unsure if she could properly defend herself against the attack.

 

 

A hail of gunfire caught the Heartless from the side, annihilating it and removing the threat. Kairi forced herself to breath, thankful for Yuna's assistance, the magic gunslinger rushing to her side and helping her stand back up.”

 

 

“Hey!” Paine called from the other end of the plaza, slashing down Heartless left and right. “Just because you can use these Artes now, doesn't mean you should use them whenever you want.” She said, censuring her trainee. “Work on your fundamentals and only pull that fancy stuff out when you have to. Understand?”

 

 

Kairi gawked for a moment, ready to counter with something like “How am I suppose to know when I need to use it?” but stopped herself. They were still in the middle of a fight. Her judgement was good enough to know this was the wrong time to get into an argument.

 

 

The battle resumed and raged on, the Gullwings and Key Bearer making quick work of the hordes of Heartless, until a trio of Fat Bandits lumbered onto the scene. The full-bodied Heartless barreled along the pavilion, rotund bellies being used as battering rams. Rikku and Kairi both managed to sidestep the ungainly charge of the Heartless, while both Paine and Yuna tried to stand their ground. Without her shield, Paine couldn't withstand the blow and was cast aside – the swordswoman taking great care to keep her parasol from being damaged – while Yuna suffered a similar fate after feebly pelting the Fat Bandit with gunfire from her staff. The blasts harmlessly bounced off the Heartless, not leaving any lasting damage. Kairi joined in, assaulting the Heartless with a couple quick casts of Blizzara and Aerora, which seemed to inflict some damage, but not enough to disable or destroy the Heartless.

 

 

“Just gonna ask, I take it this is one of those times I break out the 'fancy stuff'?” Kairi called out, as Paine dusted herself off.

 

 

“Yeah, yeah... go nuts, kid...” Paine forced out through tight lips, annoyed and distracted. Her tumble did have one casualty to it: a small hole had been ripped in the canopy of her parasol.

 

 

Just as Paine gave her the all-clear, the Fat Bandits spat out a series of fireballs, but Yuna was able to cover with a precise counterattack, firing out a screen of ice missiles. The two attacks collided, covering the area in a plume of steam, with Kairi using the distraction to follow-up on Yuna's strike. Charging up her Keyblade again, she brought her Keyblade high to the side of her head, clutched in both of her hands, like she was back on the pitcher's mound on the softball field. It was probably the wrong technique, she thought, as she threw Destiny's Embrace at the gaggle of Heartless, but it worked nonetheless, the blade whirling through the air. The magic imbued in it burst out, too, causing a stream of water to flow around the Keyblade, the momentum shaping it into a circular, spinning blade.

 

 

The plume of steam proved to be the perfect shield for the group, as Kairi's Tidal Raid came ripping through the cloud, catching the lead Fat Bandit right in the jaw as it was about spew more fire. The whirling, watery blade damaged the nonfunctional mouth of the Heartless, staggering it and knocking it back into it's brethren. Still holding up her damaged umbrella, Paine sprang forward through the steam, her broadsword glowing with a fearsome red aura, as she furiously hacked into the gigantic Heartless. Her Armour Breaker Arte tore through the protective fat layer of the Heartless with ease, taking the lead of the group down. Paine then darted out of the way, letting Rikku finish the fiends off with a salvo of bombs which unleashed a surge of electric bolts.

 

 

Kairi returned her Keyblade to her hand, nodding along with her accomplishments. “Not bad, not bad...” She wasn't entirely proficient with all these new abilities, but her progress was still astounding her. Not to mention, having more options in combat would certainly come in handy.

 

 

However, any celebration and reflection was short-live, as more Heartless spawned into the area. Kairi rolled her eyes at the sudden reappearance of the Heartless, seeing as how they just wiped the floor with them. These things really didn't know when to quit.

 

 

But, before the battle could resume, a deep rumbling struck the area. Not the dreadful, quick and sudden thudding, like the plodding of Ushi-Oni's thunderous steps, this quake was constant and slowly built up. Buildings and rubble shook and quaked, while both the forces of light and dark were paralyzed by the sudden shaking. Kairi dropped to one knew, cagey, unsure of what in the world was happening. More Heartless? The Organization? Something native to this world? Her teeth was rattling in her sockets, and she was certain her heart was beating fast, but wasn't entirely sure, as the sound was drowned out by the quake. All she knew was that she wanted this infernal shaking to stop. Whatever this was, just come out already!

 

 

Erupting from the earth beneath the mob of Heartless came the source of the tremors – a gigantic serpentine Heartless that stretched it's tower body high into the air. While the dreadful maw of the Heartless was snake-like, the rest of it's body was more close to that of a worm; segmented instead of scaly, and covered in some kind of stony substance coloured a deep, dark red. A series of razor sharp dorsal fins crested across it's back, as loose bits of sand and rubble cascaded off it's roughly hewed form. With a soundless roar, the Mushussu Heartless challenged the Key Bearer and her companions.

 

 

“Gonna go out on a limb girls and say this thing is the source of all the havoc around here.” Kairi said, bracing herself for another round of combat. She wasn't sure where a Heartless of this size came from, but she was at least thankful that it's dramatic emergence had thinned out the ranks of the lesser Heartless.

 

 

Without further hesitation, Kairi and the girls struck yet again, getting the jump on the towering Mushussu, as it languidly swayed it's body back and forth. Kairi and Yuna kept their distance from the Heartless, peppering it with magic. Kairi cycled through the various spells in her arsenal, while Yuna stuck with the non-elemental bullets of her shotstaff, but each and every blow harmlessly bounced off the rocky hide of the Heartless. A series of bombs courtesy of Rikku fell at the base of the sinister serpent, a fiery explosion flaring upwards, but leaving no lasting damage, either. Paine swooped in from the side, sword glowing as if it were freshly plucked from the forge, and chopped at the Heartless with both hands, temporarily tossing her umbrella upwards to do so. Even with the penetrating power of her Armour Breaker technique, the broadsword only delivered a shallow nick to the armoured skin of the beast, Paine's face screwing up in shock and frustration.

 

 

“This is not good...” Were Rikku's observations, as Paine retreated, Kairi and Yuna continuing to harry the thing with spellfire and continuing to do nothing of notice. “We're gonna need a bit more stopping power to put this back into the ground. Red! Perfect time to start up a light show!”

 

 

Kairi blanched and froze at the directive, stopping her magical blitz, Yuna giving gentle admonishment to her cousin for such a monumental ask. Could she do this? Zero progress has been made on taming the Light within her, but she always had a knack for performing well on the field. And, yeah, Rikku had a point. Nothing could stand in the way of her Light attacks. Even Xaldin – a foe far beyond the pale of her abilities – couldn't withstand them. Gulping down a large knot in her throat, Kairi tried to concentrate and focus, tried to find that pulse deep within her that she knew existed but always slipped away from her grasp.

 

 

Unfortunately, before she could prove or disprove her own doubts, the Heartless finally acted.

 

 

Each segment began to rotate individually – in different directions and at the different speeds – with the conical, reptilian head of the fiend clamped shut. It's form was almost like a massive drill, just more slinky and snakey. A whirlwind of sand and dust formed around the Heartless, too, as it's gigantic body lurched forward and arced into the air, vicious winds whipping and slamming into everything. Destiny's Embrace was torn from Kairi's hand, as she was sent sprawling to the ground, Paine being blasted back into some rubble, with Yuna thinking quick enough to throw up a barrier to protect her and Rikku. The drilling, spinning Mushussu slammed into the earth opposite it's entrance, easily boring through soft sandstone and loose dirt, spewing more rubble back out. Fissures spread all over the streets and nearby buildings, originating from the crater the beast created, as more shockwaves and tremors took hold of the area. They started out strong, but Kairi was relieved to find them quickly growing fainter and fainter.

 

 

She was then equally terrified to find them growing stronger and stronger soon thereafter.

 

 

_It's gonna...! Oh no..._

 

 

Her eyes whipped around wildly, body taut and ready to move but unsure as to where to move. The Gullwings all shared similar expressions and body language.

 

 

Like a dolphin leaping from the oceans, the serpentine Heartless crested from beneath the sandy streets of Agrabah, rupturing the earth again, and sending a rain of stones and rubble spraying out in all directions. Jagged rocks bigger than her head tumbled towards Kairi, the redhead barely seeing them through the cloud of dust, just able to get a Reflera shield up in time. Mushussu barely stayed above the surface though, it's drilling arc leading it back down into the ground, boring through sand and earth and disappearing, leaving only terrifying tremors in it's wake.

 

 

Over and Over, the Mushuss Heartless surfaced and dove back down, plowing through streets and buildings without a hint of resistance, upending the street and scattering stone debris everywhere. Between it's rocky hide and the whirling winds around it's drilling body, it was nigh impossible to damage the thing, as Kairi and the Gullwings tried in vain to bring the constant burrowing attacks to a stop. And that's when they were able to get their footing and launch and attack. Between the tremors, the shockwaves, the stone rain, and the Heartless itself, the four were forced to fend for their very lives, dodging and blocking all incoming offence, as the streets became more and more unstable, and more and more buildings crumbled to pieces.

 

 

The air temporarily choked with sand, Kairi couldn't see where she was going, and ended up rolling her ankle over a loose piece of stone, the girl tumbling to the floor just as the Heartless burrowed back beneath the earth, sending a wave of dust flying out in all directions. She could barely feel the throbbing in her leg, as more pressing matter took over. Namely, how where they going to get out of this jam? Not defeat the Heartless, just survive. The telltale sound of erupting earth rang out through the air, more dust and sand being kicked up and washing over her. Kairi's heart pounded like a hammer, as she searched through the scouring screen, desperate for any sight of any of the Gullwings.

 

 

Fortunately, despite the furious storm being unleashed by the Heartless, everyone was still standing. Paine's parasol was still mostly in-tact, though the warrior had enough sense to fold it up and stow it away for this encounter, the white-haired woman and Yuna dashing along the rugged and rough ground towards Kairi's position. Rikku wasn't that much far behind, following in the wake of the Mushussu as it dug beneath the earth again, the spritely blonde doing a leap of faith to clear the hole the Heartless had left behind.

 

 

Kairi signaled all three to group on her position, with the Key Bearer bolting away from the war zone that this little plaza had become. Running back down the way they came. The Heartless was in hot pursuit just behind them.

 

 

“I think we may have stumbled upon the Guardian, girls.” Rikku huffed out, over the cacophonous crash of rock sounding out from their backsides. No one was daring to look back and see how close the Heartless was to catching them.

 

 

Kairi blinked in confusion at Rikku's statement, doing a wild take, thinking this was more of the blonde's nonsense.

 

 

Paine picked up on the Light wielder's befuddlement. “Makes sense, doesn't it? We've yet to encounter a Heartless this big, this strong, or this aggressive before. Other than the Guardians.”

 

 

“Yeah, but where's the Stone, then?” Kairi countered. She was convinced the thunderous sounds of devastation behind them were getting louder, but forced herself to remain ignorant to that possibility, telling herself it was just her nerves. “Guardians only spawn from their Stones are in the presence of a Key Bearer.”

 

 

“Maybe we have bad info, who knows? All I'm saying is this thing is too strong to be your run of the mill mook or even a boss Heartless.” Kairi was about to respond when Yuna, ever the voice of reason, interrupted the argument.

 

  
“Right now, what it is is irrelevant. We need to either find a way to destroy this thing or run away from it, otherwise we're goners.” Kairi agreed with sentiment on principle, but wasn't sure how to go about either of those goals. This thing was utterly relentless and hellbent on killing them – her in particular. They didn't need a plan to save them, they needed a miracle!  
  


 

“Hey, girls! Up here!”

 

 

Standing atop the perimeter wall surrounding the city was a male figure dressed in a dark brown cloak, hood up, which obscured his entire body. A rope ladder had been set at his feet, dangling down the length of the old, weather-worn wall, as he motioned for the quartet to climb up. Kairi scrutinized the situation for a moment. Experience had taught her to be wary of men in hooded cloaks, and she wasn't exactly sure how climbing a dozen feet or so above the ground would help but, as they say, beggars can't be choosers, and she and the girls weren't left with a whole lot of other options. The redhead double-timed it over to the rope ladder, the Gullwings following her lead.

 

 

Kairi managed to climb halfway up the wall, Yuna following her with Paine and Rikku scrambling not far behind, when the sound of rumbling earth drew her attention. Just as she had fear, the Mushussu hadn't given up it's pursuit of it's prey, and was zeroing in on them. The Heartless was the hammer and the wall would be the anvil, with them caught between the impact! Summoning her Keyblade, Kairi twisted herself around and fired another salvo of spells, but they did as much as her previous series of attacks. That is to say, nothing. The magic harmlessly bounced off the charging Heartless, as panic truly began to bloom in her heart. They were absolutely done for now! What could they possibly do to stop this thing?

 

 

“Don't worry about that thing! Just climb up!” The cloaked man called from above, as if sensing Kairi's distress. Kairi stared up at him like a deer in the headlights, only moving when he rapidly gestured for her, and felt Yuna press her hands against her thighs, both urging her to keep it up.

 

 

The roar of the fracturing earth was becoming deafening, as Kairi continued her desperate, seemingly futile climb to the wall, stilling clinging to Destiny's Embrace, for all the good it did her. If she, a Key Bearer, couldn't do anything about this monsters, what could this stranger do?

 

 

As Kairi reached the summit of the wall, she barely could hear the stranger speak over the cacophony originating behind her. “Let's see how you like this!” The man withdrew an ethereal orb from his cloak, one that shone with a soft, purpley-pink light.

 

 

In an instant, as the man held the orb out at arm's length, as the Heartless was bare inches from slamming into the wall and catching Paine and Rikku in it's jaws, the radiance of the orb exploded outwards, so bright it eclipsed the Arabian sun bathing the city! The four girls averted their eyes from the blast of light, but they felt no further discomfort. Light that bright should be warm, blazing hot, but it wasn't. It was pleasant. Soft and gentle. Like the embrace of an old friend. Kairi especially thought the light was so wonderful and perfect, and it felt incredibly familiar, too.

 

 

The Heartless, however, had an entirely different reaction. The moment the barest rays of light touched it's rocky hide, it staggered and thrashed about, writhing away in retreat. But the aura of light only grew, consuming everything in it's path, as the Heartless found no escape. Eventually, the Mushussu buried it's way beneath the earth again, in desperate bid to hide from the brightness. A trail of quakes was left in it's wake, but they grew very dim, very quickly, before stopping all together.

 

 

Kairi forced herself to breath, as she and the Gullwings all fell into a heap atop the wall, thankful to escape another brush with death. She looked up at her saviour, the orb he carried having vanished, seemingly expended from the light show. He bent down to examine the four, making sure they hadn't been injured in the chase.

 

 

“Who are you?” Kairi managed to get out, through shallow breaths.

 

 

“I should be asking you guys the same question.” The man returned. “We don't get a lot of visitors in Agrabah looking like you guys. But,” he motioned to Destiny's Embrace, lying idly on the ground next to it's wielder, “I know a Keyblade when I see.”

 

 

The man pulled down his hood, revealing a youthful face with tanned skin, and short black hair. He smiled broadly at the girls, Rikku already swooning at his handsome features “The name's Aladdin. You guys must be friends of Sora's.”

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Aladdin led Kairi and the others through the city, striding atop the barrier wall and hopping from rooftop to rooftop, towards their original destination, the royal palace. According to him, the regular Heartless only spawned on the ground, and the Heartless wrecking machine known as Mushussu was attracted to the clamour of battle. If you stayed quiet and away from the ground, the serpent would remain beneath the earth.

 

 

He was also able to provide plenty of other information, regarding the state of the city. Apparently, since Sora had left, Agrabah had been doing fine. A surge of Heartless – no doubt brought on by the Blackheart Stone – but nothing that couldn't be managed. Then, a few days ago, without warning, this massive Heartless busted through the city walls and began wildly rampaging through the city, intermittently appearing or disappearing into the sands; an unstoppable engine of destruction that had demolished half the city, and was working it's way on the other half.

 

 

Also, when Kairi properly introduced herself and the Gullwings, Aladdin's immediate response was “Oh, so you're the Kairi Sora keeps talking about.” Kairi was able to contain her embarrassed reaction this time, having grown slightly inured to the fact that Sora talked about her to anyone that would listen. She did smile when Aladdin's face lit up in recognition, though. Even if this habit of Sora's was embarrassing, it was still very sweet.

 

 

“We were honestly hoping Sora, Donald, and Goofy would put in an appearance.” Aladdin admitted. The royal palace was in sight now, as the group carefully skirted along the edge of a half-wrecked building, before hopping back to the city wall. “We could really use them right about now. I've learned enough from them to handle the smaller Heartless, but that snake thing is something else.” Kairi stumbled at the last inch of her jump, barely crossing the gap, clinging to the sandstone while her legs dangled over the edge. Aladdin quickly leaned over to scoop her up. “No offence, but why are you here instead, Kairi?”

 

 

“Uh... it's a long story, Aladdin. I'll try and tell you later.” She deflected quickly, after standing back up. She was grateful Aladdin had asked this question when they were so close to their destination, so that she could avoid any awkward probing. From her limited time with the street rat turned royal consort, she could tell Aladdin and Sora seemed quite close.

 

 

Dashing, handsome heroes that had gone to great lengths to save their Princess. Two peas in a pod, were Sora and Aladdin.

 

 

Aladdin had regaled the quartet with stories, even going back to Sora's first quest from last year. It was great to hear and see how much Sora had affected these people, but that made Kairi all the more worried about how people like Aladdin and Jasmine would react when they found out the truth. That their dear friend was in peril because of her weakness and inability.

 

 

“But, I have question for you, if you don't mind, Aladdin.” Kairi said. It was a straight line from where they were before the perimeter wall of the city branched off and formed the even thicker barricade which protected the palace. “How did you do that back there? Drive off the Heartless with that light?”

 

 

“I'll let Jasmine field that one.” Was Aladdin's non-answer. “The entire reason we haven't been completely wiped out is thanks to her.” That caused Kairi's curiosity to rise even further, but she said nothing, politely waiting as she was bid.

 

 

Finally, the group crossed the distance between city proper and palace. As they did, Kairi and the others couldn't help but notice there was something standing between them and the palace. It was almost imperceptible – it would come and go from sight depending on how one looked at it or how and where the sun shone – but there was a thin veil of shimmering light surrounding the area of the palace, the same shade of purple and pink as the orb Aladdin use to drive away the Mushussu. Aladdin passed through the veil without pause or issue, but Kairi stopped to examine the strange aurora. Carefully, she stuck her hand through it, testing it, and finding a very similar sensation as before. The wall felt warm. Comforting. Peaceful. She stared in wonder at the light for a moment, believing she was piecing things together properly, before continuing onward.

 

 

Aladdin led them into a lush garden in the middle of the palace grounds, finding the desert flower of Agrabah nervously awaiting his return. Jasmine looked just as she did in Kairi's memory, stunningly beautiful and wise beyond her years. Though her interactions with the other Princesses was brief, Kairi remembered feeling so intimidated by the others. There she was, some Plain Jane ordinary girl from the boonies of the universe and peers with all these kind, wonderful, women who just seemed so... perfect. How could she compare to the likes of Jasmine or Belle? How could she be considered in the grouping as them, when they seemed so far beyond her in all aspects?

 

 

Insecurities aside, Jasmine's relief was palpable when she caught sight of Aladdin, though it quickly turned into anger born from her worry.

 

 

“I thought you said you wouldn't rush back into the city without a moment's notice? Again.” The Princess scolded, earning a nervous smile from her beau.

 

 

“I know, I know. It's a bad habit of mine. Blame Sora. He does it all the time.” From her position behind Aladdin, Kairi scrunched up her face, being reminded of her friend's sacrificial streak. “But I can't leave any survivors on their own out there. And, besides,” Aladdin then stepped aside, revealing Kairi and the Gullwings, “I found some very special guests today.”

 

 

It took a moment for Jasmine to process the identity of the four apparent strangers. “Wait... it's Kairi, right? We met briefly in that old castle...”

 

 

“Yep! That's me!” Kairi nodded and beamed. “It's been some time hasn't it? How've you been, Jasmine?” The Princess grimaced, and only then did Kairi realized what a dumb question it was.

 

 

“Discounting the fact that my city is besieged by Heartless... I'm much the same. Though, you've certainly changed quite a bit.”  
  


 

Kairi's smile grew wider and shakier, thankful that Jasmine took no offence from her faux pas. “Yeah. Belle said something similar, too.” The redhead then remembered her manners, and the three seasoned adventurers clustered behind her. “Let me introduce you to my companions, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine...” Kairi turned to motion to the Gullwings in turn, only to find a certain impish blonde had vanished. “Uh... where'd you go, Rikku?”

 

 

“Right here! In front of you, Red!”

 

 

Somehow, without her knowing, Rikku had slipped around Kairi and got in up close and personal with Aladdin and Jasmine. _Very_ up close. With stars in her eyes, Rikku had taken hold of one of Jasmine's hands with both of hers, feverishly shaking them while introducing herself.

 

 

“Pleasure to meet you, Princess. I'm Rikku.” The Al-Bhed girl said in a far off, dreamy tone. Jasmine seemed very taken aback, trying to back away from the manic blonde while presenting a fake, toothy smile. “Got to say, you and your boyfriend here are gonna make such beautiful babies one day -”

 

 

“I'm sorry, what?” Both Jasmine and Aladdin looked aghast.

 

 

“-And, I'm just gonna put it out there, if one day you want to add someone who is both a minksy beauty and a certified genius to your harem -”

 

 

“My what?”

 

 

“-All you have to do is call and I'll keep running!”

 

 

“She's seriously doing this now...” Kairi blanched at the display, feeling mortified for both Aladdin and Jasmine.

 

 

“We once faced down an apocalypse and Rikku still found the time to flirt.” Paine huffed, still shading herself with the black parasol. “Nothing slows her down. If only she applied that tenacity to something that mattered...”

 

 

It took a full five minutes to pry Rikku off of their (very gracious and understanding) hosts, and get the topic back on track.

 

 

“All that you need to know if we're here to help.” Kairi explained, Yuna by her side, while Paine scolded Rikku in the background. The blonde yelped when she clocked over the head by Paine's umbrella, followed by an electric jolt. Kairi slyly smiled, as she palmed the remote control to the Gullwing's shock collars beneath her bell sleeve.

 

 

“To save your city, we have to do two things.” Yuna followed up, doing her best to ignore the tongue lashing her cousin was receiving. “Destroy that Heartless and then find something called a Blackheart Stone and destroy that, too. That's what's been calling all these Heartless here.”

 

 

“We'll be happy to help however we can.” Returned Aladdin. The youth had seemed bright and hopeful ever since he realized a Keyblade Wielder was on the scene. Such was his faith in Sora and his friends. However, his brightness then dimmed ever so slightly. “But... unfortunately, we're kind of shorthanded at the moment.” Kairi and Yuna stared, looking for further explanation, which Jasmine picked up on.

 

 

“A few weeks ago, my father, the Sultan, left the city for business abroad. He had taken a liking to Iago recently, and...” Jasmine then shook her head, forgetting herself. “Oh, pardon me. You see, Iago is -”

 

 

“Oh, I know. I brushed up on Sora's journal before coming here.” Kairi quickly said, assuaging Jasmine's fears of losing their guests. “If I remember right, he's a... talking parrot?” Just saying that aloud felt weird. Kairi figured no matter what she saw or did as a Key Bearer, there would always be stuff that would strike her as odd.

 

 

“Right. Very good.” Jasmine seemed impressed by Kairi's knowledge. “Anyways, my father has taken a liking to the little pest, so we decided having him tag along would work as a good test of his loyalty.” The Princess then frowned and sighed. “Pains me to admit it, but we could really use that buzzard right about now. He would make for an excellent scout.” Then, she added in a dark tone, “And bait.”

 

 

“But, wait, don't you have that friend of yours, Aladdin? The one that can do practically anything?” Kairi snapped her fingers, trying to bring the name to mind. “Uh... Genie! What about Genie? The journal said he just returned to the city.” As before, Aladdin's mood darkened slightly. “What?”

 

 

“Yeah, Genie did come back right before Sora left, but he only stuck around for a few weeks before leaving again.” Aladdin explained, sheepishly scratching at his head while he did so. “He said he had to speak to a guy named... Will Smith? Something about a 'so-so performance hurting his brand'?” Kairi and Yuna looked befuddled at that explanation, while Aladdin could only shake his head. “Yeah, that's about what we did, too. Honestly, I don't understand about half the stuff he says...”

 

 

While being bereft of more allies was a stumbling block, Kairi didn't let it deter her too much. Her experiences on San Fransokyo had resolved her to helping others, more now than ever. “That's fine, we can make do with the six of us. But, before we begin,” the Key Bearer turned to address Jasmine specifically. “The barrier around the palace. That light Aladdin used to drive off the Heartless... that's you, isn't it?” Jasmine nodded, confirming Kairi's suspicions. It was the Light of a Princess of Heart that was protecting the city. She was, in turn, impressed, jealous, and curious. “How did you do that? That... the Light you have, that we have, I've been trying to learn how to use it myself.”

 

 

Jasmine turned her head away, the future Sultaness of Agrabah pondering for a moment before answering. “I'm sorry, Kairi, but I really don't know what to say.” The Key Bearer drew closer, inquisitively. “I don't know how I've been doing this. All I know is that I wanted to protect the city and it's people, somehow, someway, and that barrier sprung up around the palace. The Heartless can't cross through the barrier, and those orbs destroy the weak ones and drive off the strong but...I can't tell you how I'm doing any of this. I just pray and hope and it becomes a reality.” Kairi's eyes fell, hope and curiosity vanishing from her face. “I really wish I could be of more help.”

 

 

“No, no, it's fine Jasmine...”

 

 

In all truth, Kairi was less disappointed about Jasmine unable to help her with learning how to wield her Light. It more had to do with the fact that Jasmine could call upon it so easily and readily, in ways she never fathomed of before. Bursts of light to drive the Heartless away. A shield to protect the citizens. And for how long? Jasmine didn't even seem flushed or the slightest bit tired. One single charge of her Light and Kairi was knocked for a loop. How was Jasmine able to use her powers so effectively and so effortlessly and she couldn't? It was possible the Arabian Princess was some sort of savant, but Kairi figured it more likely that she was just a failure. That something was wrong with her.

 

 

Echoing back to their first meeting, Kairi felt incredibly inadequate standing in the presence of another of her fellow Princesses.

 

 

“Hey, Kairi. Focus.” Snapping back to reality, as Paine took hold of her shoulder and shook her forcibly, Kairi blinked in start, seeing that the two other Gullwings had joined the conversation.

 

 

“Is something the matter?” Jasmine asked, looking greatly concerned. Kairi swallowed her feelings and shook her heard, not wanting to push her problems onto others. The Princess' lips parted, bearing her teeth. Not a smile, but more an unsure reaction. “Well, we should get to work then...”

 

 

“Rikku, get your radar out. Find the Stone.” Paine ordered.

 

 

Rikku flippantly waved her friend off. “No need, I scouted it out on the way here. It's just outside the city, about ten miles to the southwest. I think.”

 

 

“You think?” Paine reiterated

 

 

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm not entirely sure which direction, give me a sec here...”

 

 

The blonde went to one of her pouches to pull out said radar, Kairi standing to the side as Yuna and Paine clustered around the tinkerer and her to. It looked like things would be wrapped up on Agrabah sooner than later. All they needed to really do was figure out how to damage the Mushussu Heartless. That was good, at least, Kairi thought, though she couldn't shake her dismay and frustration regarding her Light. Those feelings were bad during training, but they had gotten worse now that she had something to actively and accurately compare herself with.

 

 

_I have to be defective or something... Keyblade Wielder, Princess of Heart. Why do none of these things come with a user manual or something?_ Kairi scuffed the ground with her boot and growled quietly. _Maybe I should just accept I'm never going to be good at this and give up while I'm ahead. Stop struggling up the hill and focus on what I'm good at. Forget that I'm a stupid Princess of Heart._

 

 

However, before any further plans could be drawn up, a gout of a shadow flared up to the side of the courtyard, much to the shock of all present. It wasn't a Heartless; if Jasmine's barrier was keeping something like Mushussu out, then nothing should be able to penetrate it. But then that would mean...

 

 

“Pardon me for the interruption, but I have urgent business to attend to.” The tell-tale black cloak came into view first, heralding another unfamiliar Organization member. Much younger in appearance than any of the other Nobodies so far – he was maybe a few years older than Kairi, physically – the young man carried an old, heavy tome under his arm, and his hair was a dark shade of grey, parted to the right with a massive fringe of bangs overhanging and partly obscuring his face. “I am Zexion, Number VI of Organization XIII, and I've been tasked with eliminating a certain Key Bearer.” The Nobody held up his book, letting the covers fall and the pages flip open. “I will not fail in my duty.”

 

 

Kairi gave this new Organization member a good once over. She didn't recognize him, so he was most likely another Silhouette, meaning he wouldn't be as challenging as someone like Xaldin. That was the working theory, at least. But something else made her feel confident about this clash, and that was... Zexion didn't look all that threatening! Compared to Saix, Xaldin, or Lexaeus, hulking masses of muscle and hatred; monsters in every sense of the word – he was nothing. Axel always had an air of unhinged desperation to him, seeming quite dangerous. And even Luxord presented himself in such a manner that echoed a cool, contract killer or the like. Zexion most reminded Kairi of those kids who sat in the corner of the room for every class and would smoke out back during lunch break.

 

 

Surely, the problem child that drew skulls on everything wouldn't give her that much of a challenge?

 

 

Kairi and the Gullwings took up fighting stances, Aladdin and Jasmine taking defensive stances, as well. “How did you even get in here?” Yuna questioned, lining the Nobody withing her sights. “How did you get past the barrier?”

 

 

“While it is true the Light of a Princess can repel those that carry darkness within their hearts.” Zexion mused aloud, while tapping on the left side of his chest with his free hand. “One needs a heart for that to apply. But I didn't come her to answer your questions...” With a snap of his fingers, more pyres of rippling shadow erupted around the garden, identical copies of the Nobody forming from the shades. All together, eight Zexions were now converged in the courtyard!

 

 

“The clone trick isn't going to work when you're right in front of us!” Paine said, while both folding her umbrella and shouldering her sword, before breaking out into a full sprint, going right for the first Zexion to appear.

 

 

Rikku came running, a step behind the swordswoman, while Kairi was a step behind the blonde, Yuna staying back and holding a protective position near Aladdin and Jasmine. It all seemed so simple and clear cut. Swarm right on top of Zexion and attack with everything while Yuna gave them covering fire. Even if he had the numbers on his side, Kairi felt like her side had the advantage.

 

 

Then, without warning, a book struck Paine in the shoulder, the woman vanishing in a puff of smoke.

 

 

Both Rikku and Kairi came to a skidding halt, as the tome hovered in air, rapidly flipping through the pages, showing an image of the stunned Gullwing trapped within her paper prison. Kairi turned to see how such an attack could get by Yuna's watchful eye and got her answer, unfortunately. The gunslinger was similarly imprisoned, her illustrated form seemingly pressing against the pages she was trapped on. Two of the Zexion copies hurled their tomes at Aladdin and Jasmine, Kairi forgoing offence and rushing to protect them. The heavy, cursed lexicons somehow nimbly dodged around her Fira and hit their targets, Aladdin shielding Jasmine with his body, which only meant he was sealed away first.

 

 

A fifth puff of smoke rippled through the air, Kairi turning in horror to see Rikku in a similar state to her cousin, the drawings of her within the tome capturing her panic and fear. Now Kairi was beginning to feel the pressure from the numbers game, as all of her allies had been stolen away in an instant, leaving her all by herself.

 

 

With a wave of his hand, Zexion – the first Zexion – caused the five books trapping her allies to shoot into the air and fly off into the city beyond the palace walls.

 

 

“What did you do to them?” Kairi bellowed, holding Destiny's Embrace to bear, all too aware she was surrounded. She needed to have eyes in the back of her head to avoid a similar fate.

 

 

“You need not worry, they're just in a state of suspended animation.” Zexion explained, uncowed by her anger. “They'll break out soon enough. Though I can't promise the Heartless will be so merciful.” The smallest hint of a smirk on the Nobody's lips made Kairi growl. She wanted nothing more than to rush over and beat him down, but she knew one false move and it would be over. She needed to play this cool. “Before we begin, though, I should mention that I am not like my fellow Organization members.” Zexion said, almost sounding contrite and apologetic. “I take no pleasure in causing harm or suffering. This is merely business to me.” Kairi rolled her eyes harder than she ever had before.

 

 

“Oh, that makes me feel so much better.” Was her sarcastic reply. Not that she believed it for a second. If your name wasn't Roxas, then you were rotten to the core. That was her philosophy on Nobodies.

 

 

Zexion shrugged her banter off, replying with action over words. All together, the eight Nobodies launched their lexicons at the Key Bearer, the eight arcane tomes swarming in on her from all angles. Fortunately, Kairi was prepared and would not be caught flat-footed like her companions. Confidence lacing every motion, she quickly sliced through the one the original Zexion Silhouette threw at her, before pivoting around on her back foot and catching two more with a spinning slash. The remaining five were closing in, too fast for her to swat them all down with just her Keyblade, so she conjured a whirling cyclone centered on herself. The winds scooped up all the tomes and made quick work of them, wicked sharp air blades shredding the books to pieces, loose pages spilling everywhere.

 

 

Kairi had won the first clash, feeling confident from the success and ready for the fight. The stakes had quickly ratcheted up and, as before, the onus fell on her. She couldn't falter, too much was riding on her and her victories.

 

 

However, despite the triumph in her favour, she noticed something was amiss. She still wasn't charging into direct contact with the Nobody, still cautious, but Zexion hadn't followed up his opening salvo, either. Instead, the Cloaked Schemer and his copies were standing aside, smirking at her, observing her, eight pairs of eerily bright eyes analyzing her every movement and emotion. A nimbus of darkness was slowly building over their forms – were they charging an attack?

 

 

At the same time, the eight destroyed tomes were still spilling pages all over the courtyard. Somehow. Despite all logic dictating that they shouldn't. The wrecked books were practically “bleeding” paper, far more than even a book that size could contain, clumping together in piles that were almost as tall as Kairi was.

 

 

In panic, Kairi lashed out at one of the stacks of paper, her Keyblade parting through it as if it were made of... well, paper. Dozens of pages were thrown into the air, as multiple piles were somehow disturbed along with the one Kairi attacked. A whirling storm of ink-scribbled paper surged around the girl, obscuring her vision and pinning her down within the center of the area. She tried to press forward and cut her way through the storm, striking with spell and sword, but for each page she destroyed, three more took it's place. The damaged books continued to vomit up pages, ceaselessly.

 

 

All the while, the shadows growing from the eight identical Nobodies grew and grew, combining together and arcing up into the sky! The rising shadows formed a dome which covered everything, blotting out all else from Kairi's vision: the city, the sky, the sun, all gone! Zexion and his copies seemed to fade into the gloam, as Kairi's entire world became herself, a never-ending tide of paper, and the sheer blackness around her. Desperation mounting, Kairi furiously tried to attack the slowly vanishing Nobody with her magic, but couldn't get a clear shot through the storm. Even as the paper swirled around her, some of it came together, forming into multiple vaguely humanoid shapes.

 

 

“Show yourself, Zexion!” Kairi hollered, trying to vent some of her frustrations. She conjured a circle of flames to revolve around her, burning some of the paper and granting her some breathing room, but it was like taking a handful of sand away from the beach; futile and meaningless despite what you had to show for it. “Here I thought you were going to 'eliminate' me? How you going to do that if you skulk and shout in the shadows?” Taunting the Organization had served her in the past, surely it would work now.

 

 

Slowly, the paper stacks around her became more and more defined, folding and smoothing out, with a clearly identifiable humanoid physique.

 

 

“Oh, I have my own methods, I can assure you. In fact, you are most unlucky to have drawn me as your executioner.” Eight voiced echoed out from the darkness, Zexion cackling at his foe. “I shall bring all of your fears and doubts to bear and destroy you through a nightmare of your own making!”

 

 

“This is my fault, Sora. I just wish I was stronger, for both of us...”

 

 

Kairi was startled by the sound of her own voice, bringing a few fingers up to her throat, even though she wasn't the one to speak. Not to mention... she had said that exact phrase before. Way back when this all started, when Saix threw her into the darkness after seizing Sora. Fears and doubts... was this phantom darkness playing tricks on her?

 

 

“I'm no fighter, no warrior, no hero... I'm useless...”

 

 

“Being me isn't good enough...”

 

 

As her own doubts and self-loathing was literally repeated to her (in her own voice no less), Kairi looked up at the source, gasping aloud from the sight. The mounds of paper had completed their transformation, turning into simulacrums of herself! A dozen Kairis stood around _the_ Kairi, dead-eyed and emotionless, with the original the target of the doppelgangers' scrutiny.

 

 

With flat, hollow voices – regardless if the quotes were delivered with sorrow or rage or uncertainty – the Kairi copies barraged the Key Bearer with words she had once uttered and thought. Words that had always been directed at Kairi and her perceived failings.

 

 

“...I'm not anyone's first choice. Hell, I'm the last choice.”

 

 

“What I am suppose to do if two of Sora's oldest friends died because of me?”

 

 

“St-stop it...” Kairi muttered in response to the cold, icy voices of her doubles. The disparaging words that she had used against herself were cutting her to the bone, laying her soul bare and vulnerable. She had moved passed this, hadn't she?

 

 

Had she?

 

 

“I really screwed up this time, didn't I?”

 

 

“Cared only about Sora. About myself. About making myself feel better and absolving my guilt...”

 

 

“I'm awful. Simply the worst...”

 

 

In vain, Kairi clamped her hands down over her ears, trying to block out the insults and negative words that echoed through the abyss. Her self-directed tirade only grew louder as she did, words of hatred and loathing overpowering her screams and calls for quiet.

 

 

“Stop it. Stop it! All of you shut up! I didn't... I didn't...”

 

 

“Even that Light... it's only caused other to try to harm me. I hate it... I hate it all, so much...”

 

 

“Maybe Sora would be better off without me in his life...”

 

 

“My heart is weak and ugly; it's full of sin and contradiction...”

 

 

Kairi could help but laugh, as tears formed her eyes. She was going to fight against the onslaught of negativity, say stuff like “It's not true!” or “I didn't mean that!” in counter, but now she realized how futile this all was!

 

 

“Weak...”

 

 

“Pathetic...”

 

 

“Empty...”

 

 

“Selfish...”

 

 

“Horrible...”

 

 

“Helpless damsel...”

 

 

“Worthless...”

 

 

There were just echoes, after all! Repetition. Regurgitation. Things she had said and thought in the past. Kairi collapsed to her knees, the horrible truth sinking in, as her depressive doppelgangers continued to hammer in how awful a person she was. That was reality, after all. She bore this much self-hatred and loathing and doubt in her heart, never able to shake it no matter what happened, why deny it anymore? Kairi Shiratori was a broken, empty, jealous, pathetic mess of a human being! Never capable of growing stronger or loving herself.

 

 

The endless barrage of insults came to a stop, the area growing deathly quiet, as Kairi looked up in horrifying realization. Eyes wide and mouth agape, she looked even more terrified then she did when accepting that truth.

 

 

Would she be able of truly loving someone else, if she didn't even love herself?

 

 

“Kairi! Help!”

 

 

That question quickly fled to the recesses of her mind, as a voice cried out in distress. It wasn't her voice, either, but that of Sora's!

 

 

Suddenly, Kairi found herself not within the infinite black expanse of Zexion's darkness, but instead standing on the rooftop of an impossibly designed and absurdly imposing fortress, all rendered in stark, lifeless white. Over on the far end of the platform, opposite Kairi, stood the dark and sinister figure of Xemnas, the Organization's superior, holding someone in his clutches. Not Sora, as she would have thought but... another one of herself.

 

 

“Please! You're on the only one who can help! I'm counting on you!” The Kairi kidnapped by Xemnas cried out... in Sora's voice!

 

 

Kairi, the original Kairi (she thought she was the original) started at the juxtaposition of the voice and body, and only then did she catch a glimpse of herself, and how wrong that was, too. A masculine body clad in a black jacket and black shorts, with big yellow shoes. She was Sora! Kairi was Sora and Sora was Kairi!

 

 

What the hell was going on!?

 

 

Regardless, Kairi felt her instincts take over, as she summoned Kingdom Key and rushed over to Xemnas. “Hold on, I'm coming!”

 

 

For whatever reason, Kairi moved as if she was trudging through mud, while the distance between her and the Nobody commander continued to stretch on for an eternity. She held a hand out, but Sora only drew further and further away from her grasp with every heartbeat.

 

 

“You're too late to save the Princess, hero!” Xemnas boomed out. “What's done is done!”

 

 

All of a sudden, reality folded in on it's self, and Kairi was launched towards her foe and her friend, stumbling to her feet. A crackling blade of light formed in Xemnas' hand, before it ripped right into Sora's body! A pair of sickening screams echoed through the night, as a wave of blood splashed across Kairi's face.

 

 

In slow motion, the body of Sora, or Kairi, or Sorairi fell to the ground, changing appearances as it did. Kairi's felt her own body shift and change, too, as she fell to her knees, clawing at her face and wailing in grief.

 

 

She became like Roxas, as Sora turned into an unfamiliar blonde girl, white dress stained with life blood. Then, Sora turned into Roxas, or rather, a boy that looked almost identical to Roxas, while Kairi felt herself assume the form Aqua. She stayed like that while Sora took on the likeness of a muscular man with brown hair, and then into an older man with scars and the trappings of a samurai. Kairi became like Riku, while Sora returned to his normal state.

 

 

“You... how could you let this happen...?” Sora asked, with his face and voice, while a literal tide of fell black blood poured from his body. Viscous, sticky liquid rose up to Kairi's knees, as the girl became an ever-shifting amalgam of all these different people. “I trusted you and you failed... You failed! I hate you Kairi!” Those words felt like a knife right to the heart, as Kairi staggered backwards. Despite his injuries, Sora stood up, glaring at Kairi with the utmost hate and malice, as rivers of black ichor oozed out from his eyes, his mouth, and ears.

 

 

“Hate you! Hate you! Hate!” Sora's voice distorted into a demonic warble, Kairi backing away from the boy she called her best friend. The boy she thought she loved. The ocean of blood churned and writhed, as Sora was dragged down beneath it, vanishing from sight, an infinite babble of “Hatehatehatehatehatehate” bubbling from the dark waters.

 

 

“Hey, Riku! Wait up!”

 

 

Again, Sora's voice echoed in the distance, Kairi wildly thrashing in the blood, unsure is she wanted to go towards the voice, or run away from it. At the very least, it sounded like a younger Sora. From right before they left the Islands a year ago...

 

 

Despite her wild, directionless flailings, the redhead soon caught sight of the boy, of fourteen year old Sora, and was instantly drawn, feeling her space warp again, pulling her close. Sora was chasing after Riku on the beach, as he was so want to do. How many times had Kairi witnessed a scene like this?

 

 

“What's the matter, Sora?” Riku asked, turning to face his friend.

 

 

“Well, I was just thinking...” Sora huffed, as he caught is breath. “Was it always just the two of us? I could have sworn there was someone else we always had another person with us.”

 

 

Kairi took a step forward, but found herself anchored in place by something. She called out to her two friends, but they just ignored her and continued their conversation.

 

 

“Well, yeah, there was that girl, but we left her behind a long time ago, remember?” Came Riku's answer, as Sora considered it for a moment.

 

 

“Sora! Riku! Please!” Kairi called out from the water. Another chain snaked out from beneath the surf, latching onto her wrists. She tried to push forward, but the chains held taut and tight.

 

 

“Oh, yeah, that's right!” Sora exclaimed. “I remember now. There was some girl always around us, but she was pretty terrible. Couldn't do anything right and was always making life more difficult for us.”

 

 

“Yep. That's about it.” Riku said with a cold laugh. “She was always chasing us, always holding us back, and we got tired of waiting around for her to catch up, so we ditched her!”

 

 

“It's better with the two of us anyways. Who needs some stupid girl messing things up anyways?”

 

 

“Please! PLEASE! Sora, wait up!” More chains ensnared Kairi, as she continued to cry out towards the two boys. But they either didn't hear her or choose to ignore her, before continuing to run down the beach. Abandoning her. Leaving her behind. Forgetting all about her. Again. Again...

 

 

But, maybe they were right? Maybe she did just make things worse for everyone? Who really needed her?

 

 

Kairi stopped fighting back against the chains, slumping down in defeat. The moment she did, the chains snapped back, dragging her beneath the dark waters.

 

 

Dragged into the deep abyss, Kairi struggled, foolishly opening her mouth for air and getting a mouthful of thick, tar-like glop for her struggles. All light ceased to exist within this black ocean, save for her reflection staring down at her. Kairi reached an arm upwards to herself, futilely asking for help, while her reflection did the same, reaching down, before her reflection took on the image of Aqua. The appearance of the lost Key Bearer made Kairi struggle more, taking in more black blood, extending her hand even further, but the distance between her Aqua only increased, as she was pulled into the shadows.

 

 

Then, the reflection changed again, Aqua turning into the blonde girl in the white dress. She did not extend hand to Kairi, even as she tried to reach for the stranger, desperate as she was. Eventually, a figure in a black cloaked appeared from beyond and spirited the blonde away, the last bit of light expiring, as Kairi was towed even further down, to impossible depths, before breaching...something.

 

 

Despite being pulled downward, Kairi broke the surface, disoriented and confused. She gasped for breath, despite not needing it. She shivered, despite being warm and dry. She thrashed about some more, despite now lying on solid ground. It took several minutes for the girl to gather her composure and her bearings, rising up on shaking legs. She found herself back in the infinite abyss Zexion and his clones had conjured, the only other things in the endless expanse being an uncomfortably familiar jail cell that housed a single prisoner.

 

 

Herself. Another iteration of Kairi lay beyond the bars, patiently waiting on the bed, a vapid smile painted on her lips.

 

 

“W-what is this...?” Kairi was beyond sick of whatever the hell was happening. These... visions? Illusions? She felt physically ill and mentally drained, now feeling she would have preferred if Zexion was some sort of savage brute. Where was the Nobody anyways? What was he to gain from all of this?

 

 

_' I shall bring all of your fears and doubts to bear and destroy you through a nightmare of your own making' is what he said... All of this, he's drawn from my heart. My fears and hatred and... everything. He's turning my heart against me..._

 

 

Kairi tried to reassure herself that such an act was a fool's errand. That her heart was her greatest strength, no way would she let it destroy her. But the resolution fell flat, as anxiety bubbled in the pit of her stomach, still facing down her latest identical twin.

 

 

“What are you doing?” She finally asked, as the copy just continued to stare on, blankly and neutrally. She looked less like a person and more like a porcelain doll. Was that how Kairi appeared to others, too?

 

 

“Oh me? I'm just waiting for Sora to show up and save me. Like he always does.” The other Kairi spoke with a sickeningly sweet, high-pitched voice. Sweet and soft, to be sure, but grating. And oddly hollow. Her words having no emotion or weight to them.

 

 

Kairi, the real Kairi (she thought, she hoped) shook her head, not understanding. “Why are you just waiting? Why don't you do something to help him? So that the burden doesn't just fall on Sora?”

 

 

The other Kairi giggled insipidly. “Now, why would I do that, silly?” She asked, while holding a finger to her cheek. Despite the cutesy act, her expression remained artificial and vacant. “I'm just a girl, girl's aren't suppose to fight or do anything on their own. I'm a damsel, will always be a damsel, so I should just accept it and stop fighting. That's the way it is! That's the way the story goes.”

 

 

Kairi shuddered at such sexist drivel coming out of, what was for all purposes, her mouth. Was this more ugly truth coming from the depths of her heart? Did she think like this?

 

 

“So I'll continue to wait for my hero to save me, like a good little Princess.” The other Kairi continued. “And Sora will come. He always does. No matter what. He'll go to any lengths to save me, and I don't have to lift a finger! Sure, some people might hate me for that. For using and abusing such a wonderful person. They'll call me 'weak' and 'useless' but Sora never will. Sora will _always_ love me and _always_ save me.”

 

 

“But what if he hurts himself doing that?” Kairi questioned, choking back emotion and anxiousness as she spoke, slowly approaching the bars. “What if he does something rash and others get hurt because of him? Wouldn't you feel awful knowing that happened because you decided to sit back and do nothing?” The other Kairi kept her finger on her chin and hummed in thought for a moment.

 

 

“Hmm... nope!” She giggled again, which caused Kairi's eye to twitch in aggravation at the sound. “That doesn't matter to me! All that matters is that Sora comes to my rescue, again and again and again.” Finally, a bit of emotion shone in the other's eyes. But it wasn't joy or pride or even sadness or regret. Purple-blue eyes grew wide and distant, feverishly crazed, as the other Kairi gained an air of utter madness. “I'm his light, after all. He covets that light because it makes him feel special. He'll keep on chasing me, even to the ends of the earth, no matter what happens to him! To anyone else! Ooh! Do you think he'd sacrifice a whole world for my sake? Kill his friends? Kill himself?” Kairi's jaw fell in horror at the nonsense she was hearing. “Oh, what a brave and noble hero Sora is, isn't he? _Isn't our love so perfect and beautiful and true!?_ ”

 

 

“No. No!” Kairi yelled back. This entire time, her other retained the same, neutral blank expression on her face and body, but her eyes... her eyes! They were deranged and greedy and lustful; dark and hateful pools of blackness that dragged everyone else to their doom! “That isn't brave or noble! That isn't love! It's awful, you're awful!”

 

  
“ _We're_ awful!” The other corrected. “We're awful because we keep dragging all the people around us into pain and suffering, and no one even realizes it! They keep throwing themselves at our feet, all for the sake of the light. Destroying themselves because of us, isn't it wonderful!?”

 

 

“No... no... stop talking...”

 

 

“Even Sora, even Sora!” For a third time, the other giggled, causing Kairi to gnash her teeth. “He'll eventually push himself to far for our sake and end up broken. Poor boy. Poor little toy!”

 

  
“Shut...”

 

 

“But that's okay! I'll find another hero. Someone else to always save the poor, hopeless damsel from the peril she finds herself in. I'll find another one, and never have to lift a finger for myself again!”

 

  
“Shut up...”

 

 

“Roxas or Riku or someone else! And they'll break too. Keep destroying themselves for my sake. All those bodies, piled at my feet. All those lives, wasted on me.” Other Kairi shrugged. “Oh well. Nothing a weak little Princess like me can do about it, anyways!”

 

 

“Shut up. Shut up! SHUT UP!”

 

 

Kairi spat with more venom and hatred then she ever had mustered in her life before, Destiny's Embrace answering it's master's call. She threw her Keyblade at herself, whizzing through the gap in the bars, and the weapon struck true.

 

 

All of reality shattered like glass, with Kairi suddenly finding herself right back where she was swallowed by the darkness, the courtyard in Agrabah. The transition from cold, empty abyss to scorching hot desert sun caused her to feel woozy and stagger. Or maybe that the emotional exhaustion. She panted, furiously.

 

 

Standing before her were the eight Zexions, with the one standing front and center, holding his book up. It now had a title, written in elegant golden script.

 

 

“The Heart of Princess Kairi Ralleone”.

 

 

“And now that you have seen the darkest depths of your heart, so have I seen all of your precious memories.” The Nobody pronounced, as his copies blinked away, one by one. “Let us begin part two.”

 

 

Kairi lashed out, but a second too late, as Zexion warped away as well, leaving the drained and weary redhead alone in the garden. Cursing under her breath and tired of the subterfuge and illusions and cloak and dagger, the Key Bearer whipped about in every direction, trying to get a sense of where Zexion had vanished to. Where he was going to strike from next?

 

 

“Seriously? Running away again?” Kairi fumed and vented. She felt it was necessary, even if Zexion proved immune to her provocations. If she didn't direct her anger outward, it might just turn towards herself again. “Here I thought your Nobodies at least had a big enough pair of balls to face me head on, but you're really going to hide in the shadows the whole time, aren't you? Huh? Just like the spineless coward you are!”

 

 

Kairi's voice bounced off the high walls of the palace grounds, but otherwise the area was silent and still. Just her and her Keyblade and her simmering loathing and hatred. Bile and venom roiled in her stomach, as that sickly feeling began to rise up once more.

 

 

Catching herself, Kairi inhaled deeply, trying to center herself. Frustrated as she was, confused and exhausted as the trip through the illusory world left her, this was doing her no good. If Zexion wasn't going to come out and fight, then fine, she could spend her energy on more productive things. Jasmine and Aladdin and the Gullwings were in danger and could most certainly use a helping hand. The safety of others and the worlds came before her own personal feelings.

 

 

Kairi turned to leave the palace and head back into the city proper.

 

 

“Kairi, what are you doing here?”

 

 

Just as fast, she came to a skidding halt. Kairi almost tripped over her own feet at the sound of Selphie's voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be honest with me, everyone. One, am I too subtle with my shots against Kingdom Hearts III. And two, it's not too late to make a “Will Smith as the Genie” joke is it? I didn't miss that ship, did I?
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> So, let's move on to the elephant in the room. I did come up with this concept of Axel and Saix being involved with the death of Kairi's birth family, but I was hesitant to include it in a proper story because it might be just a bit too far and radical. In the end, I did bite the bullet on my darkest headcanon, but I wanted to at least frame it in a way that didn't make Axel seem wholly monstrous. Much as I don't like Axel, I also don't want to paint him with a broad brush and just cast him into out and out villainy. So, I wanted to portray him as reluctant in this. He's an accomplice, and accessory, but not an active participant. Because I see Axel as being a coward and an opportunist, someone who never sticks his neck out for anyone unless something is in it for him. Even if he didn't want to kill Kairi's parents, even if he knew it was wrong, he lacked the moral courage and will to actually do anything about. Sound off on this portrayal and what you think of it. I'm curious as to everyone's reactions here.
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> A minor theme running through this chapter is “people without Keyblades can still do stuff, too, guys”. I understand the franchise revolves around the Keyblade and it's wielders are the central characters, but it feels as things progress, non-Key Bearers become more and more marginalized. Aladdin and Jasmine have enough skill and experience to handle some Heartless. The Final Fantasy characters can deal with the MCP. The latter is especially damning, seeing as how the FF characters clearly have had arcs and are on a level of skill and power similar to their home games. And, hey, I was a Final Fantasy fan before I was a Kingdom Hearts fan. I have a lot of fondness for these characters. I want them to be more than just window dressing. Or, you know, being pointedly excluded from the biggest game in the franchise only to be sold back to us at a premium cost.
> 
>  
> 
> Zexion's power set provides a lot of opportunities for unique encounters. I was very excited with what I could do for Kairi's “acid trip” scene, and I hope it was executed well. Chaotic and trippy and maybe just a bit confusion. It's honestly a total 180 compared to Luxord, where I played down the time powers because I wasn't sure I could make thread the needle of not overpowered but also utilized by the character properly. And there's plenty more chicanery and trickery to come in the following chapter.
> 
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> 
> As always, feel free to drop a review or comment on this chapter. What you liked and what you didn't. Constructive feedback is always welcomed, so don't be shy.
> 
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> 
> Until next time, let the light guide your path forward.


	20. Mirages & Memories, part one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **So, I had to split this chapter into two parts. A combination of it being too long, too overstuffed, me wanting to get one last update out before the end of the year, and me not having enough time/being too lazy to properly finish this.**
> 
> **Sorry about this. Hopefully I can get the other half finished and published quickly enough. Until then, enjoy.**

**She Will Light The Way  
Chapter Twenty  
Mirages & Memories, part one**

 

 

With a great deal of exertion, Paine tore the thick, weathered tome apart, spitting the book at the spine. Loose pages exploded into the air along with, more importantly, a bright sphere of light speeding out from the confines of the book. In an instant, the light burst, revealing a confused Yuna, before depositing onto the heated streets of Agrabah next to her equally befuddled and disoriented cousin.

 

 

“Ugh, what happened.” Yuna said, clutching at her head, trying to shake away the stars. The last thing she remembered was they were all facing off against an Organization Nobody, who threw books at them. After that unorthodox method of attack, nothing.

 

 

“I'll tell ya, Yunie,” Rikku groused while picking both herself and her cousin up from the dirt. “We got schooled by some nerd with an emo haircut wielding a book!” The blonde pouted, looking supremely upset. “Easily our most humiliating defeat.”

 

 

Memory jogged, the former Summoner began to whip her head about wildly, noticing there was someone missing from the group. “Kairi! Where's Kairi?”

 

 

“Most likely back in the courtyard.” Paine surmised, ruefully noticing her parasol was absent. She muttered a few curses before continuing. “The Nobody is clearly going the divide and conquer route. Get all of us out of the way, and it's easier to deal with Kairi.” Yuna flinched at the euphemism, knowing exactly what the Organization had in mind for the Key Bearer.

 

 

Before Yuna could marshal the troops and return to battle, all three of the Gullwings were distracted by another blast of soft light. Light that was all too familiar after there short stay on this world. Down the street from where they stood was Princess Jasmine, unleashing the pulse of light from her body, and standing over the remains of another book, as she freed Aladdin from the pulpy prison.

 

 

Yuna and Rikku both marveled over the sight, over how much control Jasmine seemed to express with her powers. Even Paine inclined her head and arched her eyebrows in acknowledgment of the feat.

 

 

“So, we're all in agreement then? We're gonna shanghai Jaz and make her Red's new teacher for this Light stuff?” Rikku quipped. If they hadn't known her for years, her two companions would have had a hard time discerning if she was being joking or being serious.

 

 

“You might want to rethink that course of action.” Paine said, brusquely, as the trio moved to meet up with the Princess and her consort.

 

 

“Are you two okay?” Yuna asked, but only when the two lovers embraced and separated.

 

 

“Thanks to Jasmine we are.” Came Aladdin's reply. “What about you guys? And where's Kairi?”

 

 

“Most likely fighting that Nobody right now.” Paine stated, drawing looks of concern from the two Agrabah natives.

 

 

“Well we need to get back to the palace, then. Right now!”

 

 

“Any idea where we are?” Rikku questioned, looking around. Nothing around them but wrecked sandstone buildings and crumbling walls. Empty and quiet. Just like every street in this city.

 

 

Jasmine looked to her lover and friend, placing faith in his knowledge of the city and his years spent crawling through every nook and cranny of it. “Seems like we're in the north quarter of the city.” Aladdin announced confidently, after a minute of analyzing their surroundings. “It's a bit out of the way, but if we hurry we should make it to the palace in no time at all.”

 

 

“Well, before we do go, I just have to know,” Yuna began, addressing the group, before narrowing her focus and speaking directly to Jasmine. “I saw you use your Light to free Aladdin. I'm going to assume you were the one who freed Paine, as well. How? How were you able to do that?” There were other questions on Yuna's mind, as well – namely how Jasmine managed to escape the confines of the magic tome herself – but she figured brevity would serve them better here and now.

 

 

The Princess looked a little unsure, eyes flickering, as she shook her head with a frown on her face. “Like I said before, I'm not entirely sure how I am managing this. All I remember was seeing the two of you,” she motioned to Paine and Yuna, “getting captured by those books, followed by Aladdin, and then there was nothing but darkness. I was terrified and worried, but moreso than anything I just wanted to help Kairi and see Aladdin safe and sound. The next thing I knew, there was this warm light all around me, and I was suddenly in the cities streets, four books falling around me. It took a bit of doing, but I used them same method to free your friend here.”

 

 

Yuna's face scrunched up. No wonder Kairi was so averse to training her Light, this was beyond frustrating. The common element to all this was that the Princesses could call upon their light through their desire to help others, specifically the people they cared the most about. Belle and the Beast. Jasmine and Aladdin. Kairi and Sora. That all scanned. But why did Kairi have such difficulty channeling this power where Jasmine didn't? Why could Jasmine use it in multiple ways – direct or subtle, active or passive – where Kairi could only unleash those big, bombastic blasts of light? It just didn't make any sense.

 

 

Her frustration must have been evident on her face, as Jasmine spoke up again. “I'm sorry if I can't be of much more help. These past few days are the only time I've been able to use this power like this. This is all new to me, too.”

 

 

“It's fine, Princess Jasmine.” Yuna said, polite and apologetic, making more mental notes of the situation. Jasmine had this degree of control over her Princess powers after only a few days, versus Kairi working at it for five weeks or so. “It's just Kairi has been having some difficulties and we've been trying to help her and it's been -”

 

 

Building in the background, slowly drowning out Yuna, was the low rumbling of displaced earth and seismic tremors. All five human turned a shade paler, eyes opening wide, as they each recognized what exactly this meant. At what this shaking heralded.

 

 

“Oh, god damn it all...” Paine growled, whipping about to see it: the dorsal fins of the Mushussu sawing through the streets of the desert city and making a beeline to their position. Without a word, Rikku quickly distributed her remaining grapple wire among her companions; fighting this thing had proven futile and they had more pressing matters to attend to.

 

 

“I think it's time to cut the conversation short, ladies.” Came Aladdin, as he stooped down to pick up Jasmine. “If we needed to move fast before, we're gonna have to hustle, now!”

 

 

No further arguments were needed, as everyone scrambled to get out of the way of the rampaging Heartless. The Gullwings grappled themselves up the side of a nearby building, with Aladdin using his natural grace and athleticism to bound up the walls and rubble to the top of the same building. Doubly impressive seeing as how he was carrying Jasmine. Just as the group of five managed to scurrying to apparent safety, the Mushussu emerged from the sand, head spinning like a drill and body twisting about, trying to get a clear beat on it's prey.

 

 

It seemed like events would repeat from earlier today: banish the Heartless with Jasmine's Light and then hop along the rooftops back to the palace. Easy enough. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine all moved into position to protect the Princess while she worked her magic, only for the serpentine Heartless to open it's maw. Without warning, a torrent of sand exploded from the gaping mouth; a powerful geyser of abrasive silt smashing into the building the five were on with extreme force! No time to prepare or react, Yuna felt the stone collapse from under her feet, the building quickly demolished to rubble by the sand jet, and her and her companions sent straight back down to the street. The magic gunslinger barely had enough time to fire a round of Protect spells at everyone, if only to soften the impact of landing on stone and hard-packed dirt.

 

 

They all hit the ground hard regardless, sprawling defenselessly along the ground, the Mushussu Heartless still looming over them. Aladdin had at least enough wherewithal to keep a hold of Jasmine during all of this, using his own body to cushion her fall even more.

 

 

Rising up to it's full height and rearing back, it looked like the Mushussu was simply going to slam it's rocky head into them, trying to hammer the Gullwings and the two Agrabah natives into oblivion. With the amount of strength it had already demonstrated, Yuna had no doubt it could, but there was no way she was going to fall here. Kairi may be bearing the brunt of their mission, as Key Bearer and all, but that didn't mean she wasn't the only one willing to fight and protect those who were suffering due to the Organization's malicious intent. Yuna was a heroine once, she knew the effort that went into saving lives.

 

 

Still, fighting spirit or not, Yuna barely had enough time to get to her feet, Rikku right next to her. Paine was behind them – behind Aladdin and Jasmine, even – and still struggling to get up. It was the two of them against a monstrously powerful foe with no plan, no advantage, and no time. The head of the Heartless came driving downward, threatening to obliterate the lot of them, while Yuna held steady and leveled her shotstaff at the thing.

 

 

Before she could pull the trigger and fire a futile shot, before the Heartless could smash into the ground with violent force, Jasmine pulled herself from the arms of her lover and darted forth as fast as possible along the uneven terrain. At the very last moment, the Arabian Princess threw her arms out, her voice rising to a powerful shout, as another pulse of holy light washed over the others. A glimmering wall of light manifested itself in the space between Yuna, Rikku, and the Heartless!

 

 

And not a moment too soon, either, as the Heartless crashed headlong into the wall a split second after it appeared. With a mighty, thunderous _**KAROOOOOM**_ the forces collided, sending a blast of air in all directions, pushing back on Rikku and Yuna. The barrier immediately cracked and expired, destroyed from the one blow, and the force of the Heartless' attack caused Jasmine to suddenly fly backwards, the Princess yelping in shock, as the two cousins could only watch. Fortunately, both Paine and Aladdin were right behind her, catching her and bringing her to safety.

 

 

Even though the shield of light couldn't withstand one attack, the Heartless didn't win out from that clash, either. Just as Jasmine was thrown away from the force of the impact, so was the Mushussu, the wicked worm reeling backwards and then slithering away. More than that, visible cracks had formed along the armour that covered it's reptilian head, the wounds smoking and sizzling, as the Heartless thrashed in mock pain, as if it had been laid low by a Keyblade. Just as before, contact with the Light of a Princess proved too much for the thing to handle, as the Heartless quickly buried itself deep beneath the earth, vanishing once more.

 

  
For now.

 

 

“I don't think we're getting back to the palace anytime soon.” Paine assessed, grimly, after everyone checked in with each other, making sure none of the others were hurt. The fact that indeed no one was injured was a small miracle in of itself. “We have to deal with this thing or it's going to overrun us.”

 

 

“Yeah. Good luck with that.” Came Rikku, while collecting her grapples. “That thing's armour is hella strong. Not even you or Red could put a dent into it.” She then followed Paine's gaze, as both turned to examine Jasmine, who had now twice driven off a Heartless none of them could so much as damage. “Guess we do have one distinct advantage.”

 

 

“I'll do my best to help out.” Jasmine said. Her eyes remained steady and strong, but she looked flushed and sweaty, speaking between breaths. Even if she was more capable than Kairi, it seemed she still had a limit. “Even if I don't know exactly what I'm doing, I won't let the Heartless destroy my home.”

 

 

“I'm with you guys, too.” Aladdin joined in, brandishing a scimitar he had been stowing away... somewhere on his person. The exact origins of the weapon wasn't incredibly important right now. “And besides, the faster we beat this thing, the faster we can help Kairi!”

 

 

The group then began to formulate a plan, speaking hurriedly knowing that the Heartless could emerge at anytime. Yuna, however, stood silent during all of this, thinking on what they had witnessed today, even as she listened in to the discussion. All of the strategies Paine and Rikku concocted involved Jasmine summoning a big, destructive burst of light like Kairi did, the two of them certain it would destroy the Heartless without any issue. Disregarding her physical state, Jasmine herself didn't seem all too sure she could manage that, having never done anything bigger than that sphere Aladdin had used. Was that the one advantage Kairi had with her Light? Or were those finisher attacks only possible because of her Keyblade? Too many variable and unanswered questions and not enough time to figure it all out...

 

 

A flash of inspiration came and struck the heterochromatic eyed woman, as she remembered the newly rent cracks in the Mushusuu Heartless' head, as well as all the times today it had opened it's maw, nice and wide.

 

 

“Everyone, I think I have a plan.” Yuna blurted out, suddenly. All eyes fell on her, as the others had fallen into a circular argument, desperate for a way out or a new solution. “It's risky, but I think it's our bets bet. And we need to work fast.” Aladdin had been right on the munny when he mentioned the quicker the Heartless was defeated, the quicker they could go and find Kairi.

 

 

All of their past encounters with the Organization turned harsh and ugly in a hurry. She would have to be a fool to believe the fight with Zexion would turn out any differently.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Destiny's Embrace fell to the ground, Kairi using both hands to rub at her eyes. Given the climate and environment she was in, she wouldn't be surprised if this was all a mirage standing before her.

 

 

But it wasn't. Even after vigorously wiping at her eyes, the three girls remained before her, clear as day. Selphie Tilmitt, Garnet Alexandros, and Rydia Mystere. Her three best girl friends from the Islands were here! In the flesh! She didn't even care how or through what means of conveyance, she was just simply overjoyed to see them and hear their voices!

 

 

“Girls!” After gawking in stunned disbelief for an idiotic amount of time, Kairi rushed over to the trio, throwing her arms around Selphie in a big, loving hug, never wanting to let go. “I can't believe it! You're here! You're here!” The redhead cheered, as she squeezed the brunette, looking deliriously between her, and the other two. “How did you know I was here? Hell, how did you get all the way to Agrabah? This is just... I'm so glad to see you guys again, I've missed you all so much!”

 

 

Burying her face into the shoulder of Selphie, Kairi reflected on how much their decade of friendship meant to her. Yes, Sora and Riku were the first friends she made on the Islands, but she befriended Selphie not long thereafter, during recess on her first day at school. All alone and afraid and intimidated by the new place and faces, little Kairi stood by herself while the other kids played. Then, without being asked to or forced to, this sweet and perky girl came up to her and asked why she was so sad, soon inviting her to come and jump rope soon after. Selphie went to offer the sad, quiet girl a little bit of kindness all because she thought no one should be alone or scared. They were best friends ever since that day, and through Selphie, Kairi befriended Rydia and Garnet and Lenna and the others. Much as she cherished Sora and Riku, her girl friends also meant the world to her, and she couldn't imagine life on the Islands without them. Without their kindness and support.

 

 

Which is why, as the bliss of reunion died down, Kairi realized it was incredibly strange that Selphie wasn't hugging her back. That Garnet and Rydia were just standing to the side. That the normally perky and energetic brunette was remaining perfectly still and quiet. Kairi pulled away from the hug to see Selphie stare at her with an icily neutral expression, boring a hole into her heart with oddly dead eyes. “W-what's happening...?”

 

 

“You didn't answer my question. What are you doing here, Kairi?” Selphie repeated, removing Kairi's arms from her body. Both Garnet and Rydia moved in, standing side-by-side with Selphie, each girl wearing the same cold expression.

 

 

“I... it's a long story.” Kairi tried to focus her thoughts on where to begin, how to explain all this craziness. This had never dawned on her before, that she might have to explain the details of Sora and her's adventures to her close friends or family, so she was completely off-guard. “The long and short of it is that Sora and Riku are in trouble, and I'm the only one who can save them. I have this weapon called a Keyblade and I'm fighting against monsters called -”

 

 

“You? Fight? Please.” Rydia inclined her head and clicked her tongue in disbelief. The emerald-haired girl always had the capacity to verbally disparage others, but usually reserved it for those that truly upset her. This was the first time Kairi had been on the receiving end of those barbs and it made her feel uneasy and weak. “You'd never have the spine to stand up and fight for yourself. You hate violence and you're always too concerned about what others think of you to even talk back, let alone get physical.”

 

 

Kairi flinched. Yes, that was true, but -

 

 

“And if Sora and Riku are in trouble, what makes you think you can save them?” Garnet spoke in an elegant manner, but it didn't do anything to make her dressing down hurt less. “You always ran for them for help. Relied on them for everything. You're completely helpless without them.”

 

 

“Hey, that's not true!” Kairi fired back, immediately feeling queasy for snapping to her friends. “I'm sorry guys, but you know how much they mean to me. Even if I'm out of my depth, I can't just let the two of them slip away. I have to help.”

 

 

“And what can you do, Kairi?” Rydia sniped, regarding the redhead with a side-eye. “Puff up your chest and pretend to be something your not. Wave your little girly blade around and play the hero?” Kairi took a few steps back, feeling the cold glare of the trio of girls cutting through to her soul. It was unnerving and supremely uncomfortable, having these feeling spawn because of her friends. “You're not good enough for that. You know it, I know it... how many times have you gotten hurt?” Rydia pressed, tone growing darker and more acidic. “How many people have gotten hurt because they've had to rely on you?”

 

 

The Key Bearer felt her voice catch in her throat, unable to bring herself to answer the piercing questions. Ashamed as she might be to admit it, the girls weren't wrong. After all, these were questions Kairi had asked herself time and time again...

 

 

_Wait..._

 

 

“Not to mention, you just vanished without a trace, Kairi.” Selphie had entered the space Kairi retreated, looking at the redhead with her big blue eyes. But, where they would normally be as deep and lively as the sea, soulful and guileful, here Selphie's eyes were empty and still. As shallow as a rain puddle. “We looked everywhere for you, did everything to find you. How do you think we all felt? How hopeless and devastated we all were?”

 

 

Before Kairi could even respond, Garnet turned her head away and scoffed. “Don't even bother. It's just as we thought. She ran after Sora and Riku, put them on a pedestal above all else. Chasing them like a lovesick puppy. Ugh.” The countenance of the raven-haired heiress contorted in disgust. Kairi had never seen Garnet make such a gross and spiteful face; she never knew the girl was capable of such a thing. “Time and time again, she drops everything for her two boys, and doesn't care who she hurts. You're selfish and rotten, Kairi.”

 

 

“Stop it, stop it, stop it!” Kairi shook her head, arms clutching at the side of her head, unable to withstand the barrage of put-downs and barbs. It was a million times worse than the snide insults of the Organization, even worse than her own self-deprecatory comments. Had she really been so terrible to people she loved so much? If her actions had turned Selphie and the others against her, could the same happen to Sora and Riku? “Guys...” Kairi began in a shaky voice, before immediately silencing when facing the audience of icy, uncaring gazes.

 

 

Backstepping again, Kairi took a few breaths to center herself, hoping that the dread growing in her mind and heart would be proven wrong. “I'm sorry if I made you worried, I'm sorry if I hurt you. I'm even sorrier that I vanished without a trace and didn't contact you, that I haven't even been thinking much of you.” That part stung to admit. Outside of her mom, Kairi hadn't reminisced much of her friends and life back home. “But this is something I need to do. Not just for Sora, not only for myself, but for everyone. Everything we know and love is at risk! Even if you don't believe in me, I have to keep moving. Keep fighting. You can at least accept that, right?”

 

 

_Even if you don't believe in me..._ In what world would Selphie, Garnet, and Rydia not believe in her, Kairi wondered for a moment. They were besties. Inseparable. Each of them supported the other in every endeavour that came to them.

 

 

“No.” Was Selphie's answer, in a low, sneering voice.

 

 

Rydia charged forward and socked Kairi in the stomach.

 

 

It was then that Kairi realized her initial assessment of this being a mirage was more on point than first blush suggested. She was still caught within Zexion's illusion!

 

 

Kairi doubled over from the blow, coughing and sputtering, bewildered by the strength her friend now possessed. The punch was able to easily penetrated through the enchantments in her gear, further highlighting that something was amiss.

 

 

Before the trio of wicked schoolgirls could swarm her, Kairi dropped and rolled away, rising back to one knee and summoning her Keyblade, striking and pose and ready to fight, fiercely facing down her... friends. Almost immediately, Kairi's blustered faltered, her guard dropping. How could she do this? She wasn't about to scrap with some Heartless or Nobodies or other anomalous monsters, it was Selphie, Garnet, and Rydia! Her friends! Even if her rational mind knew something was wrong here, her heart flinched, refusing to even entertain the idea of striking down the three with spell and sword.

 

 

Kairi froze, sweating. And not just from the heat. _Just what am I suppose to do now?_

 

 

The girls weren't giving her anytime to ponder this predicament, Garnet and Rydia darting out to either side of Kairi, while Selphie charged straight forward. Just watching the three move... it looked wrong, gave Kairi the creeps. Too quick steps with too long strides. She could swear she saw their limbs stretch and retract with each motion, but passed that off on the heat and her own shock.

 

 

From somewhere in hammerspace, Selphie drew that well-worn jump rope she had owned for years. Whenever the brunette chose to participate in the boys's sparing and playfights, she eschewed the wooden swords and spears in favour of her trusty toy. Kairi always watched the sparing, never taking part in, but now she felt bad for giggling at the sight of Sora or Tidus whimpering in fear of the wooden knobs of the jump rope, as Selphie lashed the chord forward, the end of the handle impacting square in her chest. Just as with Rydia's punch, the toy hit with impossible force, staggering the Key Bearer and forcing her on the backfoot yet again. Just as quick as the first attack, Selphie reeled her makeshift whip back and struck again, Kairi's eyes widening in fear, as she narrowly dodged the blow, handle whizzing by her ear.

 

 

“Ooh, look at the big, strong, hero!” Selphie snickered viciously, twirling the jump rope around her like a cowboy with a lasso. Even if she was some illusion, it seemed this Selphie had been hanging around Irvine too much, too. “Afraid of her best friend and a little toy. And you're going to save Sora?” The whip snaked through the air again. This time, Kairi batted the weapon aside with Destiny's Embrace. Even if she couldn't bring herself to go on offence, she could at least protect herself. “You're even more pathetic than I first thought.” The brunette cackled, even though her face remained as empty and hollow as before.

 

 

“She must think she's in a play or something.” Came Rydia, as Kairi did her best to dodge the flurry of attacks from Selphie. Worryingly, Rydia and Garnet were not joining in and attack her as well, even though she was entirely occupied defending against the jump rope whip. The Key Bearer was doing her best to keep an eye on them, even as the taunts continued to rain down on her. “But life isn't a stage, no matter what the Bard says. You can't be a hero or a warrior, no matter how bad you want it. You can't play a part you weren't meant to be.”

 

 

“I don't care!” Kairi spat, swatting away another slap of the whip. “I'm not doing this just because I want it. I'm doing this because others are counting on me.” Selphie struck again, this time Kairi answering the attack with a backhanded swing, redirecting it towards Rydia. Kairi turned the same direction, addressing the emerald-haired girl directly. “There are so many people out there suffering because of the Organization. They need a helping hand. A light to guide them out of the shadows and to heal their wounds. The real Rydia would understand that.”

 

 

The wooden handle of the jump rope whistled towards the impostor girl, Rydia deftly catching it with one hand, flat, emotionless eyes boring a hole through the defiant Keyblade Wielder. “You sure about that?”

 

 

Now chained to Rydia through the rope, Selphie pitched the other half of her instrument into the air, throwing the handle wide so that the length of the tether drew taut and zoomed in on Kairi. Too engrossed with her exchange with Rydia, she didn't notice until the rough, coarse rope clotheslined her across the neck, the momentum of the handle causing the entire length to loop around her, before Garnet caught it. Again, these abilities and feats all seemed impossible for the girls Kairi knew to pull off, but it seemed Zexion's simulacrums had more than a few tricks to show off.

 

 

Then, with both Garnet and Rydia flanking her from either side, they both pulled mightily on their ends of the rope, the noose seizing around Kairi's neck and throat.

 

 

At the very last moment, as the rope closed and chafed around her neck, Kairi took a deep breath, holding it as her windpipe was sealed by the jump rope. The monstrous strength these illusions possessed came into play again, Rydia and Garnet tugging as hard as possible, painfully strangling Kairi, the Key Bearer being forced to one knee from the strain of it all. With frantic energy, she clawed and the rope, only to have it cinch even tighter.

 

 

Selphie marched across the courtyard, boots clicking against the stone tiles, still wholly impassive despite the gruesome act before her. “I thought you wanted to be a hero?” The brunette began to rain slaps and strikes across Kairi's cheek and the side of her head, clubbing and battering her while the redhead was slowly having the life choked from her. “You can't even bring yourself to fight off your friends? You're selfish! A coward! See! See!”

 

 

The last gasp of breath in Kairi's lungs was set to expire, her face turning bright red, as the corners of her vision blackened and faded. Tears stung her eyes. Considering all of that, Selphie's blows didn't amount to much, but the situation was still dire. It was do or die. Kairi, despite how much it sickened her, had to find the gumption within her to fight back against her friends.

 

 

But, instead of focusing on a spell or bringing up her Keyblade, instead of galvanizing her mind towards the harsh reality that faced her, Kairi's mind drifted into her memories. To another time with these three girls, but a much more pleasant one. Even as the darkness seeped further in, Kairi's mind and body rejected fighting, retreating to some sort of light within her.

 

 

A few years ago, when Kairi was finishing up elementary school and about to move up in the world to high school, she ended up facing a bump in the road. While Sora and Riku and all her other friends would be attending a public school in town, Kairi's mother arranged for her to enroll in Lady Shimomura's, a private, all-girls school. In hindsight, compared to what she was facing now, it was so insignificant and childish, but that was her life back then. An awful fight ensued between Kairi and her mother, the only time she could remember getting into such an argument with her, as the girl was beyond upset that she would be separated from her friends. Not just Sora and Riku, but the girls, too. Sure, Garnet would probably be attending, Kairi had rationalized; her parents were wealthy enough and her mother was an alumnus, but there was no way Selphie or Rydia's family could afford tuition. The thought of being separated from her friends for years to come was deeply troubling to the then-thirteen year old girl.

 

 

But, without warning, a miracle seemed to occur. Rydia and Selphie approached her one day to announce they had earned scholarships to Lady Shimomura's! An arts scholarships for Rydia and an athletics one for Selphie. It was such a sudden and shocking turn of events that Kairi thought she was caught in a dream. But it was all true, Rydia explaining that she and Selphie would have felt awful to be split from the others, too, so they worked hard to find a way in. A way to reunite and stay together. The generosity and kindness displayed by her two friends had touched her so much, Kairi could remember almost breaking down into tears on the spot.

 

 

Selphie and Rydia had gone to great lengths to stick with her, so they could still support each no matter what life threw at them. It had meant the world to her...

 

 

_This is wrong... this is wrong!_ Kairi fell down to both knees, almost collapsing into a complete heap on the ground. Her head was swimming in delirium, but there was still startling clarity cutting through all that! She could clearly see and hear the voices of her friends – not these phantoms, but the true blue Selphie, Rydia, and Garnet! She could feel their love nestled within the core of her memories, and she could feel her own love and her desire to see them again! _I won't let you... I won't let you use the girls this way. They're my friends...!_

 

 

Finally, the dam burst, as Kairi's mouth burst open, the girl wheezing and choking, as the last bit of breath escaped her. But, at the same time, a pulse of energy resonated within her, the common and recognizable warmth of the Light of the Princesses. In blind desperation, Kairi welled up all that warm, calm energy and pushed it outwards, letting the Light ripple from her heart and ushering it into the world. A bright, purple aura erupted around her being, before it exploded all around her, incandescent light flooding the world and blinding all others. Selphie, Garnet, and Rydia shrieked in terror, as Kairi's head felt lighter than a feather made of helium.

 

 

The dazzling display of light did the trick though, the noose tied around her neck falling slack, as Garnet and Rydia wildly stumbled away from Kairi, all three girls covering their faces to no avail. Kairi took a sharp, sudden gasp of breath, almost choking on it due to the rapidity. Angry red bands were burned onto the flesh of her neck, feeling raw and tender, heavily bruised. Her entire body was shaking, both from the horrific nature of the attack, as well as the exertion of her enigmatic power. But... much to her surprise, Kairi wasn't anywhere near as exhausted or weary compared to the other times she channeled her Light, even considering the pain she had suffered from the strangulation. Was she actually, finally getting better a this?

 

 

Retaking her Keyblade up, Kairi rose into a defensive stance, taking purview of the enemies who donned the image of her friends. Much to her surprise, that burst of otherwise harmless light had done a world of harm to the three, the faces and bodies of Selphie, Rydia, and Garnet peeling and cracking, melting into wisps of darkness. The light had come and banished the shadows, as the three Islander girls transformed back into Zexion – a truly disturbing image for Kairi – before the illusions vanished in a flare of black flame.

 

 

“So that's the deal...” Kairi croaked out, immediately regretting it. It hurt to speak. She went to place a hand on her bruised throat, regretting that, too. Still, it seemed she no had a good idea as to what was coming next. As Kairi rose back to her feet, still feeling the effects of oxygen deprivation, she tried to figure what other form the shades of the Nobody would assume. Some of the other girls from the Island, like Lenna or Faris? Maybe the boys – Tidus or Zidane or Irvine. Either way, Kairi was going to be ready to withstand the barrage of insults and push past it all.

 

 

Something blunt slammed into the back of Kairi's head, interrupting that train of thought, as the girl was knocked back to the ground again, smacking hard against the stone and rolling away.

 

 

Ignoring the painful throbbing expression, Kairi quickly picked herself up yet again, finding her attack to be none other than Aerith Gainsborough! The normally kindly flower girl wore the same neutral expression the girls wore, wielding a quarterstaff that was still leveled at the Key Bearer.

 

 

“I almost didn't recognize you there. You look even more pathetic than usual.” Aerith said, wheeling her staff about, chillingly echoing the words she had shared with Kairi back on Hollow Bastion. Back when this all began.

 

 

Before Kairi could respond, verbally or physically, the sound of something small buzzing through the air entered her ears, followed by sharp pain to split along her arms. In a blossom of blood, three shuriken had embedded themselves into her left bicep!

 

 

“Oh, what's the matter? You gonna cry again?” Came the taunts of Yuffie Kisaragi, darting through the air, and hurling another hand throw of throwing stars at the girl. “Gonna start crawl up into a ball, pouting and weeping, just because you have to nut up and do something yourself?”

 

 

Cursing her luck, Kairi slapped the next set of shuriken out of the air with her Keyblade, then quickly flipped away from the series of lightning bolts Aerith had conjured. This was bad. Having to face down mocking shadows in the form of her close friends was bad enough, but having them assume the identity of people she knew and respected but who could effectively fight back? Just how was she going to get out of this?

 

 

She was so caught up in her worrying and strategizing, that Kairi barely had enough time to weave out of the way of a blitzing fireball aimed at her head. And not one shot by Aerith.

 

 

Heralded by the rattling of chains and buckles and clasps, Leon walked into the arena, brandishing his signature gunblade. Kairi swallowed hard. Leon could never be said as looking kind or happy, but his stern and stoic appearance was reassuring nonetheless. Now he just looked callously disinterested in the world.

 

 

“And the Keyblade chose you, too? First you then Sora...” Leon shook his head, keeping his crooked sword aimed at Kairi. “Why does it always seem to pick the most feeble and miserable kids around?” Clicking his teeth, Leon regarded her in such a manner it made Kairi feel less than human. “Give it up, Kairi.”

 

 

“Wh-what?” Kairi's voice shook, still keeping her guard up and still unsure how she was going to get out of this situation.

 

 

“Give up the Keyblade. To us.” Came Aerith. While Leon remained stationary, facing off against the Princess of his world, both Aerith and Yuffie slowly circled and stalked around the girl. Sharks before the feeding frenzy. Trying her hardest to manifest eyes in the back of her head, Kairi felt the tension ratchet up even further. “Let us take it from here.”

 

 

“We'll finish the Organization off.” Leon came next. When Kairi went to argue the point, the scarred man quickly snapped at her. “Don't talk back! You know this is the better option. The best choice. A seasoned warrior versus a scared little girl.”

 

 

“We'll take you back home and you can wait for Sora to come back, like the pretty little princess you are.” Yuffie said, clenching more sharp shuriken and kunai in between her knuckles. “No more pain. No more struggling. It's over.”

 

 

Still aware that Yuffie and Aerith were trying to flank her from her blindside, Kairi re-positioned herself so that a wall was to her back, backing towards the barrier while she was at it. “I can't do that guys. You know I can't.” Honestly, she didn't know why she was even bothering to engage these illusions. Zexion's copies wearing suits to look like her friends and allies. She knew this wasn't real, Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith weren't here, dressing her down. But her heart was overwhelming her mind, emotion taking precedent over reason and logic. “The Keyblade chose me, for whatever reason. So I-”

 

 

“You didn't even want this in the first place!” Leon bellowed, roaring over top the girl. The threat only served to steel Kairi's resolve.

 

 

“Yeah, that's true. But I want it now.” It only made sense for Kairi to hold onto this burden and all the pain it entailed. She was the cause of all this chaos, originally. Even with her initial reluctance, it was only right this all fell on her. “It may be selfish of me, but it's my choice! If you were actually here, I know you would understand.”

 

 

Leon disregarded the passionate plea, the doppelganger grimacing at Kairi. “If you're not going to see reason, then I guess we'll just have to beat some sense into you.”

 

 

The false figures then charged, Kairi backing fully up against the wall to avoid being swarmed on all sides. Leon led the assault, swinging the revolver gunblade with barbaric might, fiercely snarling like an animal, his visage being reminiscent of his namesake. Kairi quickly threw up her barrier, the shimmering wall standing steadfast against a flurry of kunai and Fire spells, but was quickly shattered to pieces from two quick swipes of the crooked blade. Leon then took to the air, forcing Kairi out of her defensive position with a leaping strike. The girl quickly rolled forward and away, as the illusion of her friend crashed down and rent a massive scar in the wall with his weapon. Now fully out in the open, both Yuffie and Aerith unloaded their arsenal on the Key Bearer, Kairi darting back and forth and every other direction to avoid both the ranged attacks and avoid engaging Leon in direct conflict. It was all she could do to dodge the shuriken and spells, summoning Reflera walls every which way, and even then a few blows escaped her guard, throwing blades whizzing by and scoring cuts on her flesh, while a few of Aerith's spells struck her in the chest and gut and rattled her.

 

 

_This is bad... real bad._ Leon unleashed a volleyball sized fireball that Kairi had to baseball slide under to avoid, opening herself to a rain of kunai courtesy of Yuffie. Spinning Destiny's Embrace like a propeller, Kairi was able to deflect all of the blades, only to be blindsided by an ice missile, knocking her down. Leon charged at her again. One attack lead into another and she barely had time to react. _It's like I'm fighting three Silhouettes at once, and I barely have any breathing room!_ And then there was the other sticky issue within all of this, as Kairi barely avoided a horizontal chop from Leon, ducking as the blade passed over top her head, scattering strands of crimson hair into the wind. Could she muster the courage within her to fight friends of Sora? To fight people who had offered her comfort and support in her darkest hour?

 

 

Sure, Kairi may not have been close to the members of the Restoration Committee as she was to her girl friends, but they were still good people, people she cared about. People she wished she could have spent more time with and got to know better. Much as it shamed her to admit it, the shadow Rydia was right. Confrontation had never been something she was comfortable with, and the idea of crossing blades with Leon made her feel sick.

 

 

In a puff of smoke, Yuffie appeared beside Kairi, brandishing a great, four-pointed shuriken, and slashing about wildly. More daring dodging ensued, Kairi barely able to keep up with the flurry, before finally able to parry the blade and lock it in place, weaving the haft of Destiny's Embrace through two of the points. The ninja girl barely blinked at the counter, vanishing as quick as she appeared in another burst of smog. Before Kairi could even search for the whereabouts, Aerith harried her with a series of lightning bolts, arcing through the air from the point of her staff. Kairi's Reflera clashed with the sizzling Thundaga, taking the form of a wall that caused the bolts to wildly ricochet away from the girl.

 

 

The sound of metal striking stone rose from her feet, Kairi looking down to find a half dozen kunai embedded into the ground, each with a small paper tag tied to the end of them. From behind her, Yuffie had reemerged, smirking viciously, as the bombs attached to the knives detonated. Concussive force and fire rippled around the Key Bearer, scorching her arms and legs, as she feebly tried to reorient her barrier to protect from the flames, before giving up the ghost. Yuffie began hurling more explosive kunai into the conflagration, adding to the explosive medley, with Leon and Aerith joining in with tandem fire spells. The wildfire grew steadily, trying to consume the overwhelmed Princess, as her protective spells flickered and faltered against the ceaseless storm!

 

 

Grunting as a knife grazed her neck, and cursing as an exploding fireball impacted her low back, Kairi figured that if the conventional methods of defence weren't working out, she could always dig into her own playbook for salvation.

 

 

Steam spilled forth from the cloud of fire, as Kairi rose high into the air, soaring upon a furious torrent of water summoned from the end of her Keyblade. It didn't pull her out of the line of fire, Leon and the others just changing the direction of their attacks as she flew upward, but it at least got her out of the nonstop barrage of flaming bursts that had surrounded her. In the air, at the crescent of her ascent, Kairi caused the air currents to spin around her, the Key Bearer gracefully pirouetting through the air with the swirling Aerora barrier deflecting the spells and projectiles, before adding to her defences by encasing herself in a spherical barrier.

 

 

Attacks petered against the magical wall, as she slowly fell back down to earth, giving the girl a moment to breath and allowing her some much needed time to think.

 

 

_Okay, okay... if this is just like before, these are just Zexion's clones disguised to look like Leon, Aerith, and Yuffie. Using my own memories and knowledge to put me off-balance._ Kairi tried to recall all the information she had gleamed from this scenario as efficiently as possible, running over every avenue she could possibly take. _I don't know if I can bring myself to fight them... but I also don't know if fighting them will actually help me here._

 

 

She wasn't quite sure how or why, but she was able to summon up her Light to dispel the illusions that cloaked the copies of the bookish Nobody. The shining energy pierced through the shadows and revealed the truth. And judging by the fact that she wasn't woozy or exhausted, she didn't need a whole lot of it either.

 

 

Kairi touched back down, possessing part of the solution, at the very least. The instant her boots scraped the tile floor, Leon pounced upon her, forcing her to run in circles and defend and dodge all over again. Leon was relentless in his pursuit and Kairi didn't like her chances crossing swords with him and his signature gunblade.

 

 

_But, how did I go about using my Light that time?_ That was the question that dominated her mind, as she continued to desperately do her best to avoid Leon's swings and slashed. She caught a lucky break when he overextended on a lunge, allowing Kairi to blindside him with a spout of water that hit him square in the side. With his feet off-balance, Leon had no purchase and was swept away by the tide, slamming the scarred warrior into a nearby wall. _Every other time, from Hollow Bastion on, it was all about protecting what I care about. Helping others. My desire to do good. What triggered it when I was cornered against the girls?_

 

 

Now with only the two range fighters to deal with (temporarily, as Leon groaned and stirred in the corner) Kairi bolted towards them, to negate their advantage. Reflera continued to serve her well, blocking both spell and shuriken equally effectively, before Aerith took the opportunity to swipe at her with her staff. Kairi blocked that, too, locking weapons with the flower girl, as Aerith glowered darkly back at her. Within the back of her mind, Kairi noted how that twisted expression contrasted with the kind reassuring smiles the older woman offered her when she woke up on Hollow Bastion months ago.

 

 

Something stirred within the depths of her heart. A ripple of power, profound and indescribable.

 

 

_Was it... those happy memories? The kindness the girls showed me and my love for them? Do my powers respond to that, too?_

 

 

Seeing that Leon was standing back up, Kairi figured anything was worth a shot at this point. Between the damages sustained and the sheer effort she had put in to dodging their attacks, her legs were sore and aching by this point. She couldn't last much longer against all three warriors from Hallow Bastion.

 

 

Aerith pushed back on Kairi, breaking away from her, as the redhead stumbled back, though maintained a defiant and focused attitude. “I know this isn't real. This is all an elaborate hallucination you've made, Zexion.” Kairi called out, keeping her guard up and trying to split two eyes on three targets. “The real Aerith isn't this twisted and wicked. She's not this hostile to me or anyone. She and Leon and Yuffie and Tifa and Cloud and all the others supported me every step of the way!”

 

 

“Only because we had no other choice!” Aerith returned, in between casts of Firaga, that Kairi continued to avoid by the narrowest of margins. Everywhere the magical flames struck, Kairi could feel the residual sparks wash over here. “Why would anyone pin their hopes on some mopey, hopeless girl like you? We should have done the right thing and ripped that ridiculous Keyblade out of your hands and do this ourselves!”

 

 

“I don't believe you guys ever thought that for a second!” The Key Bearer countered, using said ridiculous Keyblade to knock aside more of Yuffie's throwing weapons, before moving to close the gap between her and Aerith, simultaneously putting space between her and the recovered Leon. “You supported Sora every step of his journey! You cared about me! When Sora went to finish off Ansem, you all brought me to Traverse Town and gave me comfort and shelter!”

 

 

“Stop talking like we're friends! You barely know us! We barely care about you!”

 

 

Screaming in anger and hatred that didn't belong to such a sweet and angelic woman, Aerith unleashed a massive torrent of hellfire that roared towards the charging Kairi. Shockingly though, the blazing flames parted around the girl, passing by and leaving her completely unharmed, as a soft pink haze settled around her being. Kairi tore through the blaze, using Destiny's Embrace to disarm of Aerith of her staff, holding tight to a mental picture of Aerith's kind and supportive smile.

 

  
“You showed me nothing but grace and encouragement and understanding when I needed it most. You and Tifa made me breakfast. I know enough to know what a wonderful person Aerith Gainsborough is. That she _does_ care about me and supports me!”

 

 

The aura flared about Kairi, a brilliant corona that pulsed all about. The hallowed light warded off Leon and Yuffie, forcing the two to back off, while Aerith was not so lucky, as Kairi stood face-to-face with her. The shining blast of holy energy worked as it did before, stripping the shadows away and revealing the truth hidden beneath Zexion's hidden shadows. The likeness of Aerith was torn away in a terrifying shriek, a voice that melded the tones of both the gentle woman and the cackling Nobody, revealing another copy of Zexion, which was then quickly reduced to black cinders.

 

 

Kairi huffed, still flinching from the horrifying sight, but at least she her theory had worked. She had a way out of this dire conflict.

 

 

“Oh, big deal. You made another big heroic speech and conjured a little light show.” Yuffie's sneering voice entered her ear, as the Wutai shinobi poofed into view, attacking with the giant shuriken again. Kairi parried, but the disappearing act made yet another encore. One moment, Yuffie was standing before her. The next, following more smoke, the black-haired girl was at her back. “It doesn't matter. Doesn't make a difference.” Every time Kairi either defended herself or went to attack, Yuffie simply spirited herself away using her ninjutsu, making it impossible to get a beat on the girl. If that wasn't bad enough, Leon had rejoined the fray, attacking Kairi in the intervals of Yuffie's repeated withdrawals.

 

 

One of Yuffie's attacks ended up slicing her along the knee pit, before the ninja vanished yet again, as Kairi dropped to one knee, Leon baring down on her with his weapon raised. With no other options, Kairi stood her ground (more like kneeled her ground) and blocked the slash with her Keyblade. Leon's greater strength pushed down against her, pinning her place, Kairi struggling against the fierce warrior, before a sharp gout of pain lit up in between her shoulder blades. Yuffie had reappeared and drove one of the spikes of her giant shuriken into her back!

 

 

“You know you're going to fail, and you know all of us expect you to. You've doubted yourself every step of the way, so why wouldn't everyone else?” Yuffie hissed cruelly into her ear, as Leon continued to press down from the other side. Destiny's Embrace was almost pinned against her chest, as Yuffie slowly, _very slowly_ , began to twist her shuriken within the wound. Every fibre of Kairi's being screamed in excruciating agony, the girl herself yowling dreadfully. “And besides all that, you know I never believed in you in the first place. I never even liked you. You got some big speech for that, Princess?”

 

 

“Yep. I do...” With the last remaining shred of mana she possessed, Kairi called down a lightning bolt from the heavens, striking directly upon her position! The stinking smell of burning ozone filled the courtyard, as the magical lightning surged through both it's summoner and the shadows haunting her, an unknown amount of volts paralyzing both Leon and Yuffie, their faces contorting in pain. The current was flowing everywhere except on her person, giving Kairi the opening she needed, as she removed herself from the shuriken and pushed forward, sending Leon tumbling away before turning to confront the ninja girl.

 

 

“I can't say whether Yuffie likes me or not, but that's not the point!” The ninja shook off the dazing effects of the magical bolt, before poofing away again. This time, though, Kairi was prepared, pivoting to her left and blindly parrying a strike from the large throwing star. “But you told me exactly what I needed to hear when I was down in the dumps.” Once more winding the haft of her Keyblade through the spokes of the star, Kairi ripped the weapon out of the hands of the older teen. Then she firmly grasped onto the wrist of Yuffie, preventing her from pulling the disappearing act yet again. “You told me Sora was in a similar position, but he got up and fought. He did everything he could to help and save others.” Snarling in indignity, Yuffie threw a punch at the redhead, but Kairi made no move to defend herself. Yuffie's left fist clocked her in the cheek, as the shining aura began to rise in intensity once more. “Thank you for that Yuffie, wherever you are. I hope we can actually become friends one day.”

 

 

Kairi then pulled the black-haired girl into her chest, hugging her tightly. The ninja struggled against her grasp, cursing and growling in anger, and later pain, as the light became brighter and brighter. It seemed that all that training was paying off, Kairi tightening her grip on the slighter girl, focusing on the fire Yuffie had tried to light under her. Eventually, the power she held reached it's crescendo, flashing out in all directions, consuming Yuffie and burning away the shadows that disguised her form.

 

 

The Light receded a second later, Kairi finding herself holding on to the dwindling form of Zexion. In panic and disgust, she pushed the dying clone away, groaning and moaning despite the situation she found herself in. As the copy of the Silhouette of the Nobody burned away into nothing, the Key Bearer spent her time brushing off the front of her armoured cuirass and skirt, cursing herself for getting caught up in the moment.

 

 

A bellowing roar echoed through the garden, Kairi snapping her eyes open and close in rapid succession. Leon was charging at her yet again. Oh right, she wasn't done here yet. No time for getting caught up in her own discomfort.

 

 

“Don't think that touchy-feely crap will cut it with me.” Leon barked as his gunblade sparked against the ground, Kairi dodging his strike again. Even though she was no in a one-on-one fight, she still didn't like her chances in a straight duel with Leon.

 

 

“Trust me, I know.” Even if this were the real Leon, Kairi was pretty sure she couldn't get a hug out of the grumpiest man in the Hollow Bastion on Christmas Day. “Different problems call for different solutions, right?”

 

 

Trying to think of that different solution for this problem, the gears in Kairi's head began spinning again, as she danced around Leon's exploding fireballs, doing everything she could to keep her distance from that fearsome revolver gunblade he wielded. Figuring she would charge at him like she did with Aerith, counting on her Light to shield her again, she focused on conjuring up a happy memory to fuel that power.

 

 

Without warning though, a wave of wooziness washed over her. A familiar sensation, too, as the girl stumbled to a halt, her legs feeling like extra wiggly jelly. Had she hit her limit? Were three little bursts equal to one big one? Kairi shook her head, trying to dispel the feeling and focus, when the sound of Leon's boots stomping on the stone tiles filled her hears, drumming thunder growing louder and louder.

 

 

_Shoot..._ She panted, still feeling unwell and uneasy. Looking up, she could see the leader of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee barreling right down on her, weapon already reared back. He would be in range in a flash. _Guess we're doing this..._ Swallowing as much of the sickly feeling in her body as she could, Kairi planted her feet and held up Destiny's Embrace.

 

 

Leon lashed out, roaring like a man possessed, with Kairi standing on guard, gripping her Keyblade in both hands. Both weapons met with a resounding clash, again and again, with the redheaded Princess making sure to push-off from each parry. She didn't want to be caught in another lock with the stronger, more experienced swordsman. Through it all, repeated clashes and slashed and swipes, Kairi was holding her own even though her head was still swimming and her hands were beginning to thrum painfully from the repeated collisions, every time the blades met it would send a raging shockwave rippling down the length of her Keyblade and straight through to her hands and forearms. Still, a stalemate was not what she needed, doing her best to keep moving, dodging and deeking about, carefully minding her steps over torn up chunks of floor. But Leon refused to let her retreat again. To give her space so she could summon her Light for the _coup de grace_.

 

 

After the dozenth clash, Kairi double-timed it backwards, never taking her eyes off Leon. She didn't need much, just ten or twenty seconds to reach down into her soul and rip away the shadows that had assumed Leon's form. But that phantasm wasn't even going to grant her one second, Leon leaping into the air with a vicious diagonal chop, Kairi barely getting her weapon up in time to stop herself from being chopped in half. Metal met with enchanted, holy metal, the sound so terrible Kairi felt her ear drums were going to pop there and then. Then, Leon pulled the trigger of his gunblade.

 

 

No bullets fired from the cylindrical chamber of the weapon, or any projectile or any kind; instead, a crackling, thunderous _BOOM_ originated from the blade. The unseen wave rippled through the space between Key Bearer and shadow, smashing into Kairi's chest and arms, feeling as if her entire skeleton was vibrating like a tuning fork! _Now,_ she felt truly sick, as her skin rippled and shredded from the force, her Keyblade being ripped from her hands and flung to the far corner of the courtyard! Not that it would do her any good, as her hands were now completely numb.

 

 

With all the advantage in the world available to him, Leon struck again, following up with a slash aimed at Kairi's throat. At the last second, even through the sickness and numbness in her being, Kairi veered out of the way. The crooked blade still caught her though, cutting deep into her right arm. The girl barely had enough time to wince from the pain before Leon caught her in the midsection with a scornful and disdain kick, driving the wind out of her lungs and sending her to the ground so hard that she bounced and skidded across the surface.

 

 

“Pathetic.” Leon sneered, swiping at the air with his weapon while taking slow, deliberate strides to his downed opponent. One hand on her arm and the other on her side, Kairi was slowly pulling herself away, scooting along the ground. “Look at you, cowering in fear after a few scrapes. I can't even understand why the Keyblade would go to some weakling like you.”

 

 

“You and I both know there's more to being a Key Bearer than raw strength.” Kairi said, before doing her best to get to a standing position. Leon's tenacity was a problem, and the evidence was clear she couldn't take him in a fight. Nor could she make enough space. Risky as it was, she was just going to have to charge into the thick of things and wing it. “No matter what you say, you can't bury the truth. Sora did enough to earn your faith and your trust, and you placed that some of that faith in me. Maybe one day, I can have that same confidence myself, without leeching off of Sora's deeds and actions.”

 

 

“No, no. It was a mistake.” Leon shook his head, glaring at Kairi. “I was a fool to ever believe in someone like you. To pin my hopes on some weakling. Just like you were foolish to ever believe our faith would hold.” Leon took up a stance, ready to charge again, but it proved to be an unnecessary move. Kairi had already broke out into a full sprint, coming right towards him.

 

 

“You gave my Sora's journal.” Instantly, the haze of energy embraced Kairi's form again. The corona of holy light was shining even strong then it had in her previous uses of it. “You gave me that because you know just how much it meant to me. Because of you, I can retrace his journey, see what he did. Live those adventures through his eyes! I know you felt awful for not being able to provide more help, but all of you were so kind and considerate. You did all you could to help me!”

 

 

Kairi clenched her fist, but did not call upon her Keyblade. The power she wielded instead began to concentrate itself within her fist, before blooming into a sizzling blade of pure Light! It wasn't much, maybe a bit longer than a dagger, but it would have to do. It was too late for Kairi to turn back now, after all.

  
  


Finger on the trigger of his gunblade, Leon bull rushed the girl and swung the sword again, intending to finish her off with one solid strike. At the very last possible second, with Leon's powerful armament coming right for her head, Kairi crouched down mid-stride, losing a few more hairs from the top of her head in the process as the sword sailed over her. Still, clear of danger, Kairi pressed forward with unstoppable momentum, closing in on Leon and swiping at him with her short little light blade. The beam of radiant energy did not so much as cut the warrior, but phased through his clothing and flesh, leaving no trace or mark of contact.

 

 

“Thank you for that, Leon. Aerith, Yuffie. Everyone. I want to say these things to you in person, if I can.”

 

 

Still, wound or not, it had the desired effect, as Leon fell to his knees, gunblade clattering to the ground, screaming in pain, just as Kairi came to a skidding stop. Like ice under the scorching Arabian sun, the likeness of one Squall “Leon” Leonhart melted and sloughed off the Zexion copy, the bookish Nobody now yowling in agony as the Light tore away at him, before burning away in shadowy fire like the other copies before him.

 

 

That sickly feeling crept into her body again, as her vision went spotty for a moment. Kairi's breath was ragged, and she was beginning to feel the effects of the drawn-out battle. Out of mana, exhausted and weakened from her own innate power, and physical injuries piling up at a frightening rate. She couldn't keep this up for much longer. Still, as she called Destiny's Embrace back to her and began to scour the area for signs of movement, she knew this wasn't over yet.

 

 

_One more copy left. One more impostor to torment me._ Kairi thought, while moving cautiously back towards the exit. Towards the city proper. If Zexion was going to take his sweet time with the smoke and mirrors, she might have a chance to escape and go help her friends. _So who's it gonna be this time? What unwanted trip down memory lane will you be taking me on?_

 

 

“Kairi, dear, what's the matter? You look awful...”

 

 

Kairi's breath hitched in her throat at the sound of her voice. It was almost enough to make her cry.

 

 

Stepping out of the shadows came Mihara Shiratori, mayor of the small island town of Salm – _former_ mayor, Kairi had to correct herself. One of the candidates for governor had just announced her as their running mate. She was probably in the swing of things for the election, back home. Smartly dressed in a light grey business suit, with her long and voluminous jet black hair bound in a tight bun – only marred by a few streaks of silvery grey – Kairi immediately noticed the same deficiencies as with her friends and Leon and the others. Her expression was neutral and flat, too neutral to be natural, and green eyes, normally bright and intelligent, were dull and listless. Mihara repeated the questions, slowly approaching Kairi, who swallowed a knot of emotion, paralyzed by indecision.

 

 

Just as before, Kairi was at war with herself. The rational part of the redhead knew this song and dance by now; this was just another Zexion clone done up to look like someone she cared about, meant to torture her, try to break her spirit, and then kill her. But her heart and the emotional side of her could care less about any of that. It was her mom! The only mother – the only parent – she ever knew. The woman that opened her home and heart to some strange girl from across the stars and treated her like her own flesh and blood, gave her everything in the world. It pained Kairi to see her after so long, but also filled her with unbridled, impossible joy! Kairi loved her mom with all her heart and... and... and...

 

 

What horrible things would she do and say to try and break Kairi, just as the other phantoms before her had? How much heartache would she have to suffer from this encounter? Remembering the uncharacteristically vicious looks Selphie and Aerith had given her, Kairi shuddered at the idea of her sweet, patient, intelligent, and gracious mom doing the same. How could she possible survive that?

 

 

Destiny's Embrace had long vanished with the sight of Mihara, but now Kairi shied away, head full of horrible thoughts and possibilities. The girl shrank away from her mother, shrinking into herself, not wanting to suffer any more emotional wounds today. This wall too much to handle. She would be better off fleeing and trying to find Jasmine and -

 

 

“What's the matter, sweetheart?” Mihara smiled, tried to smile as best a Nobody in disguise could manage. “It'll be okay, whatever it is, I promise. Just come on and over and tell me what's bothering you. You'll feel better.” Kairi's mom held her arms out, offering herself for a hug. “Just like how you were afraid of going on your school camping trip when you were eight. You were all worked up you brought yourself to tears. But then we talked about it and you felt so much better you were able to summon enough courage to go. And you had a wonderful time, remember?”

 

 

Kairi's rational half broke, her emotional half earning a sweep victory, as she staggered over to Mihara. She did remember that moment in her childhood. Upset over being away from home and her mom for a long weekend, a whole three days! And now, she hadn't seen her for two months. Two months and counting.

 

 

“Mom...” Kairi choked, barely able to get the word out through the thick knot lodged in her throat, before embracing the woman, hugging her as tight as possible. Mihara returned the favour, gently wrapping one arm around her daughter's back. Kairi's own mind was screaming at her, for falling for the ploy so easily, but the heartsick Key Bearer didn't bother listening to her own internal objections. This felt so good, so right! To be back in her mom's arms. To have a piece of home back in her life. Mihara even smelled like home, so perfect was Zexion's illusion.

 

 

Deep down, a part of Kairi never wanted this to end. Or, rather, for this to be the end. For her to go back home and forget all the pain and burden and responsibility of being Kairi the Key Bearer and return to being Kairi Shiratori, only child of Mihara. Of continuing that simple, carefree existence.

 

 

“It's okay, Kairi. Just let it all out. It will be over soon.”

 

 

A shadowy knife flickered into Mihara's open hand, to plunge into her heart. Slowly and perilously, the knife descended towards the girl...

 

 

Suddenly, the blazing sun of Agrabah was consumed by another source of light, drowning out the sunlight and replacing scorching heat with gentle worth. Mihara grasped in shock, her knife shattering, as her own disguise began to peel away.

 

 

It didn't take much for Kairi to find a pleasant memory between her and her mom, there were so many she was spoiled for choice in how to stoke the flames of her heart. Waves of incomprehensibly bright light rolled out from her heart and body, with Kairi holding on to the likeness of her mom even tighter. So that she wouldn't escape. So that she could squeeze every last drop of these feelings from this moment.

 

 

More Light spilled out in a never-ending tide, a greater show than all the others, before one final burst radiated from the Princess. So intense and strong was this emanation, that it destroyed both the disguise and Nobody in a single shot! The Light faded and Kairi was left hugging only herself. The forlorn girl sank to her knees, tears rolling down from her tightly shut eyes.

 

 

She stayed like that for a few minutes, arms wrapped around her chest as she gently sobbed, her breath shuddering every so often.

 

 

“I'm so sorry, mom. I'll come home soon. I promise.”

 

 

Purple-blue eyes flew open, still crying, but also possessed by a furious, indignant fire.

 

 

“How dare...” She coughed, still trying to swallow that knot in her throat. Kairi knuckled away the tears and tried again. “How dare you, you underhanded, cowardly snake! Using the people I love the most against me? Just when I thought the Organization couldn't sink any lower, you show me a new level of shamelessness!” This was it. Zexion had made seven copies of himself and Kairi had dispelled seven doppelgangers. All that was left was the Silhouette of the Cloaked Schemer himself. She summoned her Keyblade, ready for battle. “My memories and my emotions belong to me and no one else! I'll never forgive you for sullying them and trying to poison them against me, so come out and fight me. Fight me!”

 

 

Even if she was hurt and exhausted and out of mana. Even if she had overtaxed herself and the world was spinning around her. Even through all that, Kairi wasn't going to back down after all these insults. The Nobodies could assault and harass her all they wanted, but there was no way in heaven, hell, or in between she would let them taint and corrupt her friends and family. Use their faces and voices and contort them into some perverse mockery. The lies and illusions and shadows and falsehoods, she would cut through it all and end this.

 

 

Still, a dark part of her couldn't help but wonder if there was some truth to what the phantasms had said today. If Selphie and the others resented her for prioritizing the boys above their relationship. If Leon and the others had such grave doubts about her, but only humoured her because she was the only option.

 

 

_No, no, no!_ Kairi shook her head, as to banish those dark thoughts. _Don't think like that! That's what Zexion wants! Even if any of that crap is true, they're you're friends, Kai. They believe in you and see the best in you..._

 

 

“Kairi.”

 

 

Kairi had thought she had weathered the worse of the storm. That she couldn't suffer anymore heartache today. That after parading out her mother, there was no way Zexion could stoop any lower. No act he could perform to serve as a grand, disgusting finale.

 

 

She was wrong.

 

 

“Using the people I love the most” was what she had said, and she had no idea how accurate that statement. The people she loves the most. The _person_ she loves most of all.

 

 

Swallowing fear and anxiety and so much pain, Kairi turned around to find herself face-to-face with Sora.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **So, seeing as how this is the last piece I will be publishing in 2019, and seeing how this is the first year I've returned to my fan author career since early 2015, I wanted to eschew my normal author notes and talk about something a little more personal.**
> 
> **I have been very open (very, very open) that I did not like Kingdom Hearts III, and that my hatred of that game was the reason why I got back into writing. Specifically, I was in a real bad place at the start of the year. My depression and anxiety were really messing me up, and I was hoping this game would help me out of that. Little did I know, was that in the end, KH III only exacerbated my anxiety, and I felt like utter garbage through most of February. I was angry and manic and depressive and felt physically ill, and I knew I had to do something to relieve this. So, I started writing, hoping I could come to terms with how I felt and move past it.**
> 
> **And I think, I've come up with an answer to my question. Or, maybe I've known this for a while and only now can deal with it.**
> 
> **I always use to say that I have a love-hate relationship with Kingdom Hearts, and post-III, the dial was just set all the way down “hate”. But I know that's no longer true. I have always been one not to shirk away from objective truth when I see, it no matter how uncomfortable.**
> 
> **I hate Kingdom Hearts. I hate this franchise. I hate it's needlessly convoluted plot. I hate it's horrible pacing that it's never been able to fix. I hate that it keeps adding more and more characters without even utilizing the ones already established. I hate getting attached and invested in characters that keep getting laid by the wayside while the same handful of characters do everything. I hate how the games mistreat it's characters and ignore it's past, while spending so much time setting up insipid plot points for it's terrible gatcha mobile game and Nomura's crappy Final Fantasy XV fanfiction. I hate how because destiny is absolute, nothing matters, and our heroes' actions are meaningless. I hate how morally repugnant the games are to all but out and out say victims of abuse should forgive their abusers if the latter say their sorry.**
> 
> **I hate myself, because I can no longer enjoy the thing I used to love.**
> 
> **Now, don't go thinking that this melodramatic confession means this story is done, or that I'm done writing KH stuff. Because I'm not. That's not what this means. I am committed to finish this story through 2020. As for what this all means, I don't know yet, either. I am most certainly not buying Re:Mind, but beyond that, I don't want to say “never again”, but the odds of me actively participating in this franchise again look bleak at this point.**
> 
> **I felt like I needed to confront how I truly felt about all this and make my intentions and my feelings clear. Sometimes, when you are growing disillusioned with something you love, the best and hardest step is to just walk away. To say it's no longer for you. To accept that fact, however harsh it is, and put it aside, sparing yourself further stress and pain. I haven't truly loved a Kingdom Hearts game since Birth By Sleep. I only really love three games in the franchise. The more time passes, the more elements are added that I dislike or find bothersome. The things I enjoyed about Kingdom Hearts are no longer the relevant things in the franchise. I'm putting too much of myself into this series and not getting anything back. It's time for me to accept it and move on.**
> 
> **TL;DR: I am the Kingdom Hearts fan writer who hates Kingdom Hearts and have probable hated it for sometime now.**
> 
> **Besides my own personal garbage, I just want to say thank you to everyone who has been keeping up with me this past year. Even if this is the only sentence of mine you have ever read, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Therapy or not, I am very glad I returned to writing and got share my nonsense with you, dear reader. It means a lot that there are some people out there willing to follow me through my craziness and anger and bitterness. Thank you thank you THANK YOU.**
> 
> **Let's kick some ass and finish this off in 2020, guys! Happy New Years and best wishes, until then.**


	21. Mirages & Memories, part two

**She Will Light The Way  
Chapter Twenty-One  
Mirages & Memories, part two**

 

 

“You sure this is gonna work, Yunie?” Rikku questioned.

 

 

“Yes. Well, I mean, I believe it will. I hope it will.” Yuna said, stuttering slightly. “We've done all we can to ensure it's success, but no plan is one-hundred percent guaranteed to -”

 

 

“That's a 'no'.” Paine interrupted, bluntly. “You have no idea whether this going to work or not.”

 

 

Yuna sighed. “Yes. Thank you for that, Paine.” Focusing on something other than their squabbling, the brunette gunslinger scanned the area, making sure everyone was in place, at the very least.

 

 

After narrowly surviving their last skirmish with the Mushussu Heartless, the Gullwings with Aladdin and Jasmine in tow carefully traveled over to the market place, rooftop hopping once more. The area they came to was a wide-open plaza square, clearly once the heart of the bazaar, but was now as desolate and empty as the rest of the city. Each of them had taken position atop buildings at the four corners of the square, with Jasmine and Aladdin huddling together on one, the one in the furthest corner from Yuna. The plan she had concocted was risky, to be sure, but they didn't have a whole lot of options to begin with, and they had wasted too much time as is. It must have been a good half hour since Zexion first appeared on the palace grounds, who knows what had happened between him and Kairi by now?

 

 

_Maybe Paine was right. Maybe I do coddle Kairi too much and I should give her some space to succeed or fail on her own terms._ Such a thought made Yuna feel ill, as it meant leaving her friend at the mercy of monsters and madmen, but she proved a decent match for Lexaeus, the other Silhouette they had faced. She had grown so much stronger since then, too, perhaps she was worrying for nothing? Perhaps Kairi had already won the battle and was trying to find what had happened to them.

 

 

_I'd rather be safe than sorry._

 

 

Silently signaling to her teammates, as well as the Princess and vagabond, Yuna checked in to make sure everyone was ready for this hastily put-together operation. “Alright, girls... and Aladdin, it's showtime!”

 

 

On her mark, Rikku threw down a handful of explosives right in the middle of the square, the bombs quickly detonating, a sizable explosion ringing out through the plaza. As the smoke and flames cleared, the earth began to rumble and shake again, ushering the Mushussu Heartless to the surface once more. Much to Yuna's relief, her theory held true, as she could clearly see the damage inflicted on the head of the serpentine beast was still there; it had not recovered from it's encounter with Jasmine's Light. That was the opening they all needed. Now for the next step...

 

 

Before the Heartless could act, Paine let out a low battle cry while flinging her sword to the Heartless, spinning through the air with in a brutal Strike Raid, the heavy blade slamming into the crack's along the Heartless' head, pointing embedding itself into the exposed matter beneath the rocky armour. The sword was impaled to the Mushussu for all of one second before Paine joined her weapon, leaping from rooftop to straddle the Heartless atop it's neck. With one hand grasping a pointed protrusion and the other retrieving her sword, Paine began to slash and hammer at the Heartless, mindlessly hacking away at the preexisting wound over and over, while the Mushussu thrashed about wildly, trying to buck the dark swordswoman off it's being.

 

 

Yuna's eyes quickly darted from rooftop to rooftop, checking in on her other allies while Paine kept the Heartless occupied. Rikku had crouched down and was tinkering with some tools she pulled from her pouches, while Aladdin stood guard over Jasmine, who had her eyes shut in concentration, a faint glow radiating around her body. Paine was still managing high atop the Heartless, holding on and continuing her assault, while the beast itself had flailed about so much that it's entire body had emerged from it's burrow, long tail coiled up on the ground. So far, so good...

 

 

Eventually, the Heartless regained a little more control of the situation, it's movements becoming more deliberate and calm, as it's slithering form began to make a beeline towards one of the buildings in the area, head lowered. The thing was going to ram Paine into one of the structures!

 

 

“It actually figured that out sooner than I thought...” Yuna muttered to herself, kneeling from her vantage point and aiming down the sights of her shotstaff. Even if she delivered the biggest shot imaginable, there was no guarantee she could inflict damage through the armoured hide of the Heartless. But there were other methods of attack besides direct damage.

 

 

Firing a bullet of dark blue energy, the shot struck true, splashing against the rocky scales of the Heartless. The bullet left no mark or sign of impact, but the wave of energy washed over the beast, along with a shimmering glyph in the form of a clock, it's twin hands moving at an absolute glacial pace. Where Mushussu was once barreling towards the building with blistering velocity, it's movements suddenly became languid and sluggish, as it fell under the sway of Yuna's Slow spell. It was as if the gunslinger had set the Heartless to move at one-eighth speed, it's lethargic slithering causing it to crawl forward inch by inch where before it was making a lighting-fast advance through the sand.

 

 

Still on a collision course for the structures, but with much less urgency and danger about, Paine continued to hammer and the damaged armour of the fiend, viciously digging at the soft, vulnerable not-flesh enclosed within. Even with all the effort she was putting into it, though, she wasn't inflicting much visible damage to the thing.

 

 

Eventually, all too soon, the Slow spell fizzled out, the Heartless staggering as it came back to it's normal velocity. Instead of starting it's charge up again, the Heartless instead coil it's body tightly, winding itself into a compact pile before shooting upwards, arcing it's head towards the ground. This rollercoaster of movement was finally enough to shake Paine off, fortunately too, as the Mushussu dove into the earth once more, away from Paine's attacks and Yuna's debuffs.

 

 

The group waited with bated breath for the thing to emerge again, the tremors rising and falling in intensity as the thing swam beneath the surface, with both Rikku and Jasmine continuing their respective preparations.

 

 

“Okay, I'm ready. Give me the word and we can finish this.” Came Jasmine from across the way, speaking in between shallow breaths. Yuna had to strain her vision to see, but the Arabian Princess had indeed hit her limit for the day, Jasmine look quite flushed and her eyes being narrowed and unfocused. Still, the fruits of her labour was present, as she clutched a sphere of holy light energy the size of a watermelon in her hands. The same kind Aladdin had used to stun and drive off the Heartless hours before.

 

 

“Me too, Yunie. With this kinda payload, we'll blow that snake sky high!” The final result of Rikku's preparation was a series of bombs all combined together into one ungainly, monstrous gestalt of an explosive. The grenades were bound together through sticky gel, soldering some of their wiring together, and through Rikku literally binding them in twine. It wasn't pretty, but it was certain to make one hell of an explosion when it went off.

 

 

Yuna kept her eyes locked on the square, feeling the tremors of the Heartless slowly begin to peak again. While the damage to the armour around the Heartless' head was a notable advantage for them, she knew it wouldn't be enough to win them the battle. It did, however, give the former Summoner a bit of inspiration. If whatever lay beneath the tough, rocky exterior of the Heartless was vulnerable, then what about it's interior? What if you got a good, solid hit in from inside it's gaping maw?

 

 

Blind it and stun it with the Light and then, before it could retreat, hit it with another Slow spell and have Rikku drop the bomb into it's wide open mouth. Paine would be seen as the immediate threat so the Heartless would focus on her and hopefully ignore the rest of them. Then, either the Heartless would clamp down on the cluster, detonating it, or Yuna could strike it with a spell, also detonating it. A blast that big should be more than enough to tear the thing from the inside out.

 

 

It all seemed so easy in practice, but Yuna knew they were only going to get one shot at this. Jasmine was well exhausted and over-taxed for the time being, and without Kairi and one of her Radiant Finishes, Yuna wasn't sure if the group had the fire power to penetrate the armour of the Heartless.

 

 

_Much as I don't want to leave Kairi to her own devices, we shouldn't have to rely on her all the time._ Yuna thought, as the ominous rumbling reached it's crescendo. She had to crouch with her legs wide to maintain her balance, as it felt like the entire sandstone building she was on was going to crumble beneath her. _It's unfair we have to burden her with every major obstacle. Every major fight. We were heroes once. We can still fight and win and help those in need!_

 

 

Paine had positioned herself as to stand along the side of the square she used to occupy, away from the others, hopefully keeping the Heartless away from them, as well. Finally, the Mushussu appeared again, bursting through the earth with a silent roar and swinging it's head about in a wide, hundred and eighty degree arc. Unfortunately, as it's head lashed about, the Heartless spewed another tide of sand, the furious jet of silt smashing into everything in it's path! Paine hit the dirt at the last moment, feeling the blast sail over her, but soon heard the crashing of stone from behind her, as the jet drilled into the buildings lining the square, the wide arc of the Heartless letting it demolish half the plaza in one go!

 

 

Including the buildings Yuna and Rikku stood upon.

 

 

Barely making out Paine's cursing and Rikku's yelps over the sound of her support crumble into dust, Yuna barely had enough time to leap out from the rooftop and roll into the plaza, safe but out in the open and without her vantage point. Rikku's landing was far more rough, the spritely blonde flopping down on her belly, spread eagle, with her bundled-up bomb skidding from her grasp and sliding across the sandy ground next to Yuna.

 

 

Paine rushed over to a defensive position in front of Yuna, but by that point, the Heartless was already on top of them, looming up to it's full height above gunslinger and warrior, firmly planted in it's burrow and spinning like a drill again. A howling whirlwind began to form around the spinning Heartless, now masked by a whirling screen of sand. Yuna could feel the winds whooshing through her hair, all the dusty air in the area being suctioned towards the towering serpent, as the storm only became more intense, the funnel cloud growing in volume and speed with every passing moment. At first, as Yuna planted her feet and gritted her teeth while trying to think of their next move, only trails of sand and tiny bits of rubble were sucked towards the flourishing cyclone, but the sucking force grew along with the storm, dragging more and more into the whirlwind. Chunks of stone, larger and larger with each passing second, were added to the spinning wall, as the three Spiran women even found themselves losing purchase and being dragged towards the Heartless.

 

 

Out of the corner of her eye, Yuna saw the bomb rock and slide against the ground, the swirling winds trying to scoop it up into their chaotic grasp. Thinking fast and acting faster, Yuna dove towards it, snagging it out of the air at the last second and tucking it under her arm like a football. If they lost the bomb to the storm surrounding the Mushussu, it was basically game over. Not that they were in a great position, Yuna realized, as she had to fight just to stand up and not be bowled over by the winds.

 

 

In the distance, she could barely make out Aladdin and Jasmine, huddled low on their rooftop, slightly shielded by the lip that rimmed the parapet, while nearby, Paine had stake her sword into the ground with Rikku clinging onto her friend for dear life.

 

 

_Come one, Yuna, you can't freeze up now just because your plan went bust. Why, if Kairi were here with you, she'd... she'd do something reckless and stupid that we'd give her an earful for, but it would win the day regardless._ Yuna almost chuckled at that thought. It was just another thing the redhead had in common with her younger self. During her pilgrimage, Yuna performed all sorts of rash and risky acts to win the day, barely pulling it out by the skin of her teeth most of the time. The first such incident that jumped to mind was leaping from the top of the chapel at her own wedding...

 

 

The current situation was certainly dire, Yuna grimly observed, perhaps it was time to bring back a bit of that daring do.

 

 

“Jasmine. Jasmine!” Yuna called out, yelling at the top of her lungs, hoping that would be enough to carry her voice through the raucous storm. The brunette began darting to her left, careful to keep her footing and even more careful to avoid the debris being sucked into the Heartless' cyclone. “Jasmine! Throw the orb! Throw it!” She still had the shackled bomb tucked under her arm, while her shotstaff was held by her right arm, finger firmly on the trigger.

 

 

This had an even tighter time frame than their original plan. The moment Jasmine's Light erupted and enveloped the plaza, Yuna would only have a handful of seconds between the Heartless being dazed and it retreating beneath the earth again. At the very least, it might give them enough reprieve to make it back to the palace, but Yuna wasn't going to aim for the very least.

 

 

Taking a page from Kairi's playbook, Yuna aimed her shotstaff right at the ground while leaping upward. The current of air took her, holding her upside down and taking her for a ride, but the gunslinger unleashed an explosive blast of fire magic from the barrel at the very last moment, quickly tucking herself into a ball, as the jet rocketed her into the air, Yuna soaring above the zenith of the tornado.

 

 

With Aladdin wrapping his arms around her waist, anchoring her in place, Jasmine stood up and hurled the sphere of Light into the plaza, only for it to be immediately sucked up by the storming winds spiraling around them. Fortunately though, whirlwind or not, the orb broke apart, unleashing the impossibly bright light into the square. The rays pierced through the dust devil with ease, and the moment they glance the Mushussu Heartless at the center, the beast ceased it's spinning and began to wildly react just as before. All the sand and stone it had collected fell back to the earth, the sand billowing out so as to completely blanket the ground area.

 

 

The gentle and soft light continued to spread out, bathing the entire area in it's glory, as Yuna twisted herself around to get a clear shot of the Heartless. It's shadowy silhouette blared out against the field of pure, glaring white, giving her a target even if it was ill-defined and the brightness was just a bit too harsh. Squinting and doing her best to ignore the discomfort, Yuna focused on the beast and it's movements, and it's head bobbed to-and-fro, it's serpentine body slowly sinking back beneath the sand again. She was only going to get one shot at this.

 

 

To her relief though, the maw of the horrible demon was wide open the entire time.

 

 

With all the strength she could muster, Yuna hurled the cluster of bombs towards the Heartless, while charging a shot through her staff, just as Jasmine's Light began to recede and fade. Rikku's makeshift clump sailed through the air as well as a loosely cobbled together assembly of bombs could, which is to say not well. Still, even lacking an aerodynamic form, they bobbled and wobbled through the air to their target, the Mushussu just turning it's head at the right moment for them to slip past it's beak and down into it's gullet.

 

 

Not one to waste a perfect shot, Yuna quickly brought her staff up to bear and fired the charged beam, an arc of energy twisting through the air with precision and grace. The Heartless had continued to shimmy itself downward into it's burrow – over half of it's body gone from sight at this point – but the magical gunfire still hit true, following the same path the bombs took and piercing right through them!

 

 

A rumbling followed, but not the rumbling of earth the five had become accustomed to. Instead, a monolithic burst of flame flew out of the mouth of the Heartless, originating from inside it's being, followed by smaller gouts of flame erupting along it's sides. From the inside out, the fiend was being torn to shreds and demolished, before the entire payload went off, bifurcating the serpent in a fiery explosion! One half remained in beneath the earth, but the other half was blown into smithereens and strewn about the plaza, along with another cloud of dirt and sand, as Yuna fell back to the ground. Before long, vanishing in a dark miasma, all the remains of the Mushussu Heartless vanished, and peace fell over Agrabah again.

 

 

Aladdin and Jasmine clambered down from their position as the dust settled, quickly finding all three of the Gullwings caked head to toe in dust and sand – hair, clothes, skin, and everything. Yuna and Paine coughed irritably while Rikku pulled her goggles back up, circles of tanned skin standing out in contrast against the dusty shroud over the rest of her body.

 

 

“And now I remember why I hate the desert.” Paine complained in between coughs.

 

 

“Sand. I hate sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.” Rikku joked with an impish grin, though her expression soon fell and she then state in an all too serious tone. “Seriously though, I think I got sand in places sand _does not_ belong...”

 

 

“There's going to be a fight for the showers tonight...”

 

 

“Are you alright, Jasmine?” Aladdin asked, as the thoroughly exhausted Princess took a seat on some rubble, with both him and Yuna attending to her. Putting on a brave face, Jasmine smiled and nodded.

 

 

“Hmm. Yes, I'm... just a little lightheaded.” She explained, trying to dismiss their concerns. “Please don't worry, I'll be fine. And besides, we have other things to worry about. We need to get back to the palace as fast as possible.”

 

 

Much as they were concerned for her well-being, Aladdin and Yuna could not argue with that. Kairi was in danger, and Yuna knew her heart would not rest until she saw the girl herself, safe and sound.

 

 

Leaving the war zone of a market place behind them, the group of five double-timed it back to the palace, hoping for the best and dreading the worst.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Exhausted. Overworked. Hurt. Broken. Despairing. Heartsick. On the precipice of a full and complete breakdown.

 

 

Sora slumped in the corner of his cold, barren jail cell, feeling all of that and more. It had been the latest in a series of long, long days of mindless Heartless slaying for his mortal enemies, furthering their goals. The Organization had been particularly merciless in their slave-driving as of late, too. Eight consecutive days of work, with Sora's shifts sometimes lasting close to half the day. Not to mention, where when this all first started, Sora would usually only be escorted to one world per day, but now, whatever Nobody was acting as his chaperone would ferry him from place to place, never staying for longer than two or three hours.

 

 

If he were in a better state of mind, Sora might have found that oddly suspicious.

 

 

But, exhausted as he was, Sora wasn't a stranger to physical exertion and the weariness of his adventurer lifestyle. He had always been an energetic and active person, going back to his childhood, and he possessed more energy and courage than restraint, often leading to him pushing himself too far. The same was even more true regarding his adventures last year. During the exploration of a world, Sora would prove to be an endless ball of energy, only to crash the moment the Keyhole was sealed and they departed. He distinctly remembered sleeping seventeen straight hours after finishing Wonderland. But, halcyon memories aside, Sora could take the physical aspect of his fatigue, it was the emotional and spiritual aspects that were weighing him down. Grinding him into dust. Destroying him.

 

 

Sora yawned, feeling his body fight against the wave of drowsiness that hit him. He needed sleep, but he also knew that wasn't going to come for him anytime soon.

 

 

It was bad enough that Sora spent nearly every waking moment reflecting on what had happened, what he had done, and the consequences delivered to his loved ones, but that same dread and worry was beginning to infect his dreams, too. Every night for the past two weeks Sora suffered through a restless sleep, struggling to fall asleep and waking up at least once before daybreak, constantly hounded by nightmares and visions. No matter what he did, he could not escape those specters that haunted him in his sleep, even during the waking day. The twisted, horrific images would always creep back into his mind as the day progressed, reminding him of his failures and all the suffering he had caused.

 

 

Sometimes, the nightmares were fairly abstract: the eternal echoes of Kairi or Riku's screams in a dark void, or brief flashes of their faces contorted in tortuous agony. Other times, they came in a more vivid form: Sora returning home, only to find both his parents and his sisters dead at the hands of Xigbar, the wicked Nobody ghoulishly gloating over their lifeless bodies. Sora wasn't entirely sure which of the two was worse.

 

 

Sora buried his face in his gloved hands, almost moved to tears, though he wasn't sure if that was due to the emotional turmoil or the lack of sleep. Either way, he was at his breaking point. At first, when he made his deal with Saix, he thought he was just doing the right thing. Kairi getting kidnapped was his fault, so it was up to him to fall on his sword and do what he could do to save her. But he had underestimated the depths of the cruelty and depravity of the Organization, seeing as they had no intention of letting Kairi free, seeing her to safety.

 

 

Now, as time had passed since that fateful day, Sora was slowly coming to realize just how badly he had screwed up. How selfish and short-sighted he had been. She was gone now. Kairi was gone. If he had just found his resolve and fought back, she would probably be okay. Probably be in the same situation he was in, locked in this cell, awaiting salvation. At the very least, he would be in a position to stop the Organization, to be the hero again. Worse, Sora knew that Kairi's pain and suffering a demise (Sora felt his stomach twist into a tight knot when he thought of his childhood friend's ultimate fate) was because of him. It might be even more selfish of him to think of him like this, but Sora thought that was the most grievous sin he had committed. Not dooming the universe as a whole to the machinations of the Organization, but pushing all the pain he was suffering onto his friend. Making the person he had known almost his entire life, the girl he was certain his feelings for transcended mere liking, feel nothing but suffering and distress during her final moments.

 

 

And so, Sora sat, in his small, cold, confined jail cell, body worn ragged, spirit broken, on the verge of passing out but dreading what would come to him in sleep. He shivered, hugging his own body tightly. It was a minor complaint on top of everything else, but he hated how cold The World That Never Was was. Even wearing that stupid black cloak over his shorts and jacket didn't provide him with enough warmth and comfort.

 

 

Wriggling around, eyelids drooping, desperately trying to get warm and comfortable, Sora felt something hard poke at him in one of his many (many, many) pockets. Curious overtook him for a moment, a brief respite from the cloud of despair that had been consuming him for so long. Sora fished a hand down towards that pocket and pulled out the offending item.

 

 

A small charm made of thalassa shells, arranged in the form of a five-pointed star. A smiley face was childishly etched onto the top point of the star. Kairi's lucky charm.

 

 

“Kairi...” Tears began to roll down the broken boy's cheeks, as his mind was bombarded with even more proof of his failures. _She gave me this right before I went to Hollow Bastion to seal the Keyhole. It was suppose to keep me safe._ It didn't. _I was suppose to bring it back to her._ He didn't. He couldn't any longer. This was suppose to be a sign of their bond and their trust for each other, but now it was just another sign of his failure. Another promise Sora had broken.

 

 

In the delirium of exhaustion, Sora began to relive all the moments over the past year, all the chances he could have taken and that what-ifs he could have done. When Saix brought him to her, within the heart of the Organization's stronghold, he should have fought and resisted instead of giving in to the villains. If he was just a little faster and a little less focused on his own adventures, he could have made it to Twilight Town sooner and got to Kairi before the Nobodies. He should have ignored what Yen Sid said and tried to find a way home, before he did anything else. When he defeated Ansem and the worlds were being restored, he had told Kairi to go home and wait for him, to abandon her and leave her all alone, but that was wrong. He should have taken her with him! Keep her by his side so they could find Riku together! He was her friend, too...

 

 

_Time and time again, I always pushed Kairi away. Kept her at arm's length. Told her to go home. I put Riku ahead of her. Donald and Goofy. My own freedom and fun. I... I think I love her, but I've treated her like garbage for so long._ Sora's hands idly moved against the groves of the sea shells. His last lingering connection to his home. _No wonder it all caught up with me and I ended up in this mess..._

 

 

“I'm awful. I'm selfish... I've been a bad friend, haven't I?”

 

 

That was Sora's last thought before his exhaustion finally won out, and sleep overtook him.

 

 

Sora fell into the timeless void of sleep, consciousness fading away, even if recent history had taught him he would find no solace over the next few hours. He didn't know how much time had passed in the waking world, but a dream did eventually come, Sora finding himself in a strange, unfamiliar environment. Blackness surrounded him on all sides, except for the platform her stood upon, and a small aura of light hanging above his head, rays of pure white lazily drifting down and illuminating the entire zone.

 

 

Sora looked down to properly observe the ground, seeing that this was actually oddly familiar. A stained glass platform had risen through the abyss, giving Sora his purchase, with an image of himself depicted on it's surface. Sora saw himself, resting peacefully, holding Kingdom Key and dressed as he was last year, with an image of an unmistakable tropical island in the background. Crowns styled after the token on his pendant encircled the mural, along with a smaller, concentric circle near the depiction of himself, with images of Donald, Goofy, Riku, and Kairi captured within. It was just like that weird dream he had before this all started. The last days of innocent childhood, before he received the Keyblade.

 

 

Even though nothing had happened yet – and Sora was incredibly relieved for that fact – the despondent Key Bearer quickly became angry at his surroundings. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the likeness of his friends, but that joy quickly turned bitter in his mouth, as he was reminded of his homes and friends. Of the things that were forever out of his reach.

 

 

“Okay, okay, come on already!” Sora called out, impatiently, his voice echoing in the empty space. “Can't we just skip to the part where I wake up at five in the morning, screaming and crying?” He was certain he would never have a pleasant dream come his way again

 

 

“Sora? Sora, is that you?”

 

 

A girl's voice called through the darkness, causing Sora to jump, looking around for the stranger. All of a sudden, his frustration began to ease itself, as this dream began to feel different from the others.

 

 

He then had to shield his eyes, as a blast of impossibly bright light ripped it's way through the dream world, Sora feeling more of that irritation and anger leaving him as the rays lapped across his body. The light felt so pleasant and warm. Familiar.

 

 

Eventually though, that light and warmth did recede, revealing the presumed speaker. A young girl around Sora's age, slender and petite, with shining platinum blonde hair and dressed in a pure white sundress. Big blue eyes dominated her face, looking both sad and hopeful in turn, but she smiled when she saw Sora. The boy felt slightly flustered when he saw the mystery girl's face alight with such joy. Cute girls smiling at him always caused him to feel nervous and strange.

 

 

But, all in all, considering her countenance and her appearance in this realm, it was as if an angel had appeared before Sora to relieve him of all the pain and suffering in his life. Now, this dream no longer felt like a dream. Everything was starting to feel too real.

 

 

“Oh, I'm so glad I've finally found you, Sora.” The blonde girl sighed in relief. “I've been trying to do this for over a week now...”

 

 

“Sorry, but I need to ask you... is this heaven?” Sora asked, earning a baffled look from his visitor. The girl blinked before shaking her head. “But you are an angel, right?” The beauty and light and peace coming from this girl seemed to match up in Sora's mind – perhaps his body and heart had finally given out and he had expired then and there in his cell – but his question was also quickly and quietly shot down. “Then who are you? What's happening?”

 

 

“...Who I am isn't important.” Came the blonde's response, slowly. As if she wasn't sure how to answer the question. “All you need to know is that I've been trying to contact you for sometime. I'm far away on another world, but I've connected with your heart because I want to help you, Sora.”

 

 

“Well, that would be nice and all, but I don't know what anyone can do to help me.” Sora said, cautiously. Desperate as he was, Sora didn't want to get his hopes up. “Besides, even if you can help me escape from the Organization, what's the point? My friends Kairi and Riku are gone. Finished. What's the point in fighting for a world without the two of them?” Selfish. That's what everything he did and thought came back to. Sora was selfish. But it was true, regardless. Kairi and Riku were his everything. What would he do without them in his life?

 

 

The girl, however, reacted wildly to Sora's admission, shaking her head again, but more furiously and sternly. “That's not true, don't believe their lies!” The angelic blonde shouted with earnest passion. Sora did a double take, as her words echoed through the darkened space. “Riku and Kairi... they're okay. They're alive. I...” Her bluster faltered for a moment, eyes flickering away from Sora's gaze, as he leaned closer to her, hanging on to her every word. “You have to believe me, Sora. The Organization have been lying to you, trying to break your spirit...”

 

 

“They're okay...? Kairi and Riku are alive?” Sora didn't know how to feel. This girl presented no proof as of yet, and he didn't want to pick himself up only to fall even farther and harder, but he was so desperate for any sort of goodness in his life. Anything to repair his wounded heart and push him forward, he would be willing to reach out and grasp the faintest threads of hope. “But how? Kairi was thrown through a Corridor. And I saw Riku on the Land of Dragons; he got swallowed by an avalanche. At least I'm pretty sure that was him...”

 

 

“It's a long story, and I don't know everything that's happened, to Kairi at least.” For a brief moment, the blonde girl seemed to flicker in and out of existence, her being fading and scattering into light, much to Sora's shock. The stranger herself seemed surprised and worried by this turn of events, even as her body eventually returned to normal, though she now spoke in a more hurried tone.

 

 

“They both have Keyblades now and are fighting. Not just for your sake or for themselves, but for everyone.” She explained, as Sora felt his spirits rise ever higher. “Kairi is going through the worlds, helping others in need and growing stronger.” Sora couldn't believe it. Kairi? Fighting? Becoming a hero like he was? An image formed in his head of Kairi, outfitted like him and wielding the Kingdom Key...

 

 

A bright, full smile broke out on his face, the first time he had smile in a long time. Pride bloomed in his chest the more and more he thought of Kairi. She was amazing! Incredible! The pain and sadness she must have felt when this all went down, but she had picked herself up and was fighting, saving others? What a truly wonderful girl she was...

 

 

The blonde saw Sora's dopey, loving smile and grinned slightly, though something other than joy flickered in her eye. “Riku is... he's struggling. Afraid of what might happen. Needlessly stubborn.”

 

  
“So, same old Riku?” Sora interrupted, expecting a giggle or laugh from his visitor, but the serene angel only frowned. “Uh, sorry...”

 

 

“It's... he wants to make it up to you and Kairi for what happened, so he's been scouring the worlds, hunting for you. Trying to steal you away from the Organization.”

 

 

“That was him on Agrabah!” Sora exclaimed in sudden realization. “The dark knight me and Saix came across. But wait, where did he get that awesome suit of armour?” Sora was always one to ask the most relevant and important questions.

 

 

“Uh, I-I'm not entirely sure, Sora. I think he got it when he forged his Keyblade. The impor -”

 

 

“Aw, no fair! I didn't get anything cool like that when I got mine!”

 

 

Despite the seriousness of the situation, the blonde let loose a series of snickers and chuckles, clutching her sides as she did. “That... even after all this time, after all that's happened, you haven't changed at all, have you Sora?”

 

 

Sora took notice of that comment. With the way this girl was speaking and acting, it seemed she was awfully familiar with him, but for the life of him he couldn't recall her face. Maybe he was just being paranoid; Riku probably just told her all about him.

 

 

“The important thing is, they're both fighting.” The blonde said after finally calming down and regaining her composure. “Riku has been through a lot, and I'm more than certain Kairi has, too. But they're still fighting.” With her voice growing softer and softer, the body of the angel in white began to break down again, more gradual this time around. From her legs up, her body began to slowly dissipate into thin white mist. Again, this took the girl by surprised, as she flinched away from Sora, momentarily consumed by panic, blue eyes marred by fear and dainty fingers curling tightly.

 

 

But it was only a moment. The terror passed, and the mysterious visitor quickly pushed forward, her effort and fiery ardor redoubled, even as her being continued to vanish. “Even through all the pain they have suffered, they haven't given up. Kairi and Riku are still fighting the Organization, and they're coming to save you. Soon. They'll come for you, Sora, so you can't give up! Not yet, not ever. Trust in your friends and their hearts and their power!” The girl then sighed, ashamedly turning away from Sora. “I mean, I-I wish I had some proof of all this. I don't know how to make you believe such a wild tale...”

 

 

Sensing the air of doubt surrounding the girl, Sora impulsively reached out, taking a hold of her wrist and forcing her to look back at him. He gave as friendly and assuring a smile as her could muster. “Hey, this might sound crazy... but I trust you. I do, I do.” He quickly added the last part when the blonde gave him a questioning look. “I don't know why, but there's something in my heart that tells me to trust you. That you're a good person.” The confusion of the girl in white only deepened, as Sora tried to explain himself. It was hard, he was never the best at explaining how he felt or the mysteries of his own heart, but he also couldn't ignore the pangs of familiarity deep down in his core. Not a feeling or a specific memory, but something more hazy and hard to define.

 

 

Sora continued to stammer and blather for a couple more minutes, which only resulted in the girl growing more confused and put-out, as her body continued to dissipate. Her time was clearly drawing short. “Also, I wouldn't say that was a 'wild tale'. Kairi and Riku are awesome! They can do anything they put their minds to.” At this point, Sora was just spitting out stream of conscious thoughts, but the display of his unwavering faith in his friends was enough to make the girl smile again. “I... I'm just glad they're alive. I thought... I didn't know what I was going to do, I was so afraid...”

 

 

“I know, Sora. You cherish the two of them more than anything else. Even to an extreme at times.” The girl was smiling fondly as she spoke, no longer sad or distressed. That made Sora happy. Even if she was right on the munny about how he felt, Sora still greatly valued bringing happiness and joy to others. She then looked down at herself. The vanishing had spread above her waist. “It seems I don't have much time left here...”

 

 

“Well, why don't you come back again?” Sora asked, a little too casually considering everything. “It would be nice having someone who can keep me updated on what's happening. Not to mention, I could use a little company.”

 

 

“I'm afraid I can't do that Sora, much as I would like to.” The angel answered in a melancholy tone. Sora looked concerned, silently fishing for an explanation. “I... there's something wrong with me, with my body. It took a lot out of me to reach your heart, not to mention the time it took. I don't think I can manage this again.” That was certainly disappointing. Whoever this girl was, Sora did like her. She was nice and sweet, clearly friends with Riku, maybe with Kairi, too. And being forced to be the Organization's weapon made him realize how much he enjoyed traveling the worlds and befriending new people. He hadn't made a new friend in a while. “But, before I go, there's one other thing I want to do. Do you still have Kairi's lucky charm on you?”

 

 

Sora gaped at her for a moment, about to ask how she knew that, but decided time was of the essence here. He complied to the request and fished out the trinket made of seashells.

 

 

He extended his arm towards the girl, clutching onto the lucky charm, presenting it. But, even as her body continued to break down, the angelic girl shied away from object, eyes quivering at the sight of it. It all seemed so odd to Sora that he couldn't recall this person, but they seemed intimately familiar with him and his life. “It's okay if you can't do... whatever it is you want to do.” Sora said, softly, trying to gentle with the frightened blonde. “You've helped enough as is.” He then slowly pulled his hand and the charm away...

 

 

Only for the girl to dart her right arm forward, placing her hand on the collection of seashells, having found her courage at the last moment. “No. No I haven't. I haven't done nearly enough for you, Sora.” A nimbus of a soft, blue light followed her cryptic words, enveloping the girl before surging forward. In an instant, they were linked by the charm, Sora and the girl, both cloaked in the same mysterious light. Sora's smile shone again as the energy settled on him. It was comforting and relaxing. Cool and soothing. Safe. Like a summer's night after a long, hot day. In his mind's eye, before the nimbus receded, Sora could picture the absolutely beautiful scenery of the Islands by night time – cloudless sky filled with countless stars, twinkling against the blackness. How many nights did he, and Kairi, and Riku spend watching those stars, dreaming?

 

 

Something stirred within Sora's heart. Multiple somethings.

 

 

“There are others hidden with in your heart that you have forgotten, or never got a chance to meet.” The girl explained in response to Sora's questioning look. Her voice was becoming more and more distant, her image fainter with each passing second. She was so transparent she looked like a ghost. “I just rearranged some pieces of your heart so you can find those others. I think meeting them will help you more than restoring your memories ever did...” She has muttered that last part, but Sora still managed to hear it. His inquisitive expression only deepened. Normally stuff like this wouldn't concern him, but this girl seemed to know an awful amount about him...

 

 

“But, more importantly, you deserve a chance to meet them. And they deserve a chance to meet you.” The girl offered a slight, sad smile, retreating from Sora, as she continued to become more and more incorporeal. “Thank you, Sora. I know I couldn't offer much, but you just need to keep strong and hold on a little while longer. Kairi and Riku are coming. Have faith in them.”

 

 

_I do. I have more faith than you could possibly imagine._ It had been a long, long year since the three of them were last together. Whenever that day they finally reunited came, Sora couldn't wait.

 

 

However, before his visitor could fully depart, Sora had one last piece of business. “Hey, hey! Before you go, I just have to ask... Well, you seem to know me pretty well, and I can't just shake this feeling... Do we know each other? Have we met before?”

 

 

Sora watched to his great dismay as the girl blanched, her smile shrinking away into nothing. “No. No. We've never met before, Sora...” She managed to say, barely creak the words out, while her lips and eyes quivered.

 

 

Sora wanted to ask more, to know more, but he was quickly met with a burst of light, as the world dissolved around him. The girl was gone, and Sora woke up to a familiar cackling call.

 

 

“Wakey-wakey! Eggs and bakey!”

 

 

Sora groaned. Every morning he was woken up by the sounds of Xigbar's caustic calls, as well as the clattering noises his arrow guns made as he rattled them against the bars of all the jail cells. The metallic clanking and heavy footfalls were still far off, it would be a few minutes before the Nobody arrived at his cell. He just loved to drag this stupid ritual out, to make Sora suffer just a tiny bit more...

 

 

Then, Sora noticed something. It was morning. And he was up, feeling quite refreshed, not groggy or tired. He had slept a full, continuous eight hours for the first time in weeks!

 

 

Blinking his eyes, everything that had happened in the dream – the vision, the hallucination, the whatever – hit him like a tonne of bricks.

 

 

Sora bounded up to his feet in joy at the fact that his friends were out there, fighting, coming to rescue him. He actually had to restrain himself from whooping in elation, as to not alert his captors he knew the truth. It was hard. Real hard! He almost couldn't believe and couldn't wait for that fateful day to come! His mind began to race through the possibilities, conjuring dozens of ideas and scenarios with each passing second. What it would be like to be reunited after a year. What he was going to say to them. What they were going to do when they got back home. Not to mention... Kairi was a warrior. A Key Bearer. That was amazing. He spent a lot of time trying to picture her in the heat of battle, but couldn't quite get the image to come together. Oh well. Sora figured he would see it sooner than later.

 

 

But... when Kairi entered his mind, it first started as she was last year, before shifting to her current, fifteen year-old self. _God, she's beautiful..._ He really couldn't focus on things like that during their brief, nightmarish reunion two months ago, but he was floored by how much she had changed, how much she had grown up. She had been so sad and terrified when they saw each other... Sora wanted to see her happy again. See the light in those deep, wondrous purple-blue eyes. He wanted to take all those images of Kairi in his head – the beautiful young woman she had become, the high-spirited cheerful girl from his childhood, and the fearsome warrior she was trying to be – and bring them all together. To see the best and brightest version Kairi that could possibly be.

 

 

_To tell her that I..._

 

 

His scatterbrained thoughts continued to bounce around, thinking about how much Kairi had grown, how he had grown and changed, then wondered if Riku had done as well. _I mean, it would only make sense, right?_ He asked himself, as Xigbar's obnoxious noises got louder and louder. He was probably a few cells down. _He'd be sixteen now. He's probably had a growth spurt, too. That silver hair, those bright eyes... I wonder if he's grown to be as pretty as Kairi..._

 

 

Wait... where did that thought come from?

 

 

_...I hope this hasn't awoken anything in me..._

 

 

Eventually, Sora was able to settle down his mind and his heart, hiding his optimism by the time Xigbar arrived, gleefully cackling and sneering at the continued misfortune of his captive.

 

 

“Alright, alright, get to it you lazy little squirt. We gotta a lot of work today. Lot of hearts that need freeing and all that. So, rise and shine and -” Xigbar's one visible eye narrowed as he saw Sora, the Nobody taking a long, hard look at his captive and the change in his demeanour. Not half-asleep and groggy. Not sullen and broken. Sora had hid his optimism, but not all of his feeling. Standing up at full height and in a challenging pose – feet spread wide, shoulders squared, eyes hard as steel. For the first time since Xigbar had threatened his family, Sora had found his fire and fighting spirit.

 

 

“Look at you, all full of piss and vinegar...” Xigbar stated in a rasping, dangerous tone. “Now what could have gotten into you?”

 

 

“Nothing, just...” Sora may not be the sharpest Keyblade in the shed, even he knew that, but even he knew he had to keep quiet on this. It would be bad news if the Organization found this out. Still, after being under their thumb for so long, after suffering so much because of them, Sora could not resist finally standing up and fighting back against the fiendish Nobodies.

 

 

“I'm not going to be your prisoner forever, Xigbar. I'm going to get out. And I'm going to make you guys pay for everything you've done.”

 

 

A vicious glower crossed Xigbar's face, his disgust and malice for Sora fully on display, as Sora continued to glare daggers at his jailer. The standoff held for tense few moments, before Xigbar finally went to unlock Sora's cell.

 

 

“Come on, you little punk. Don't make me threaten your folks again...” Xigbar motioned for Sora to follow, the Nobody storming back down the hall, murderously muttering to himself, “Getting real sick of that face. The three of them, over and over again with that same damn look...”

 

 

Sora followed reluctantly. Much as he wanted to start fighting back right now, throw down the gauntlet and smack some Nobodies around with his Keyblade, there was still too much at risk. He needed to lay low and play it cool, wait for the moment to come, just like the angel had told him. But it would come, he was sure of it. Kairi and Riku wouldn't leave him behind.

 

 

With Xigbar still grousing up ahead of him, Sora took a moment to steal a glance at his lifeline. His last, shining hope. He pulled the lucky charm out from his pocket, thinking about the amazing person it belonged to.

 

 

_That's right. I promised I would give this back to her. You've screwed up enough, Sora, can't go around breaking anymore promises to your best friend..._

 

 

Then, for a brief moment, as Sora lovingly stared at the trinket, he thought he saw it change shape. From five grooved seashells glued together to a bright, yellow star – a paopu fruit. Sora blinked and shook his head, finding the charm in his hand unchanged. That was strange, but Sora figured it was just his mind playing tricks on him.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

“No. No, no, no, no, nononono... It's not real, it's not real, it's not real...”

 

 

Weary as she was, the final twist of this encounter had pushed Kairi towards a full-fledged anxiety attack and nervous breakdown. Sora... er, Zexion (she could not, would not under any circumstances compare that creep to Sora, even if he was stealing his form) hadn't even done anything other than utter her name, and yet Kairi could feel her heart pounding so furiously, it felt like it was going to erupt for her chest any minute now. A cold sweat poured down her brow, as her breathing became tighter and more hurried, Kairi continuing to repeat her crazed mantra under her breath.

 

 

The worst part was, that Kairi could clearly see there was much more finesse applied to this illusion. 'Sora' actually had a light to his eyes and emotion on his face that made the likeness all the more seamless. Almost perfect. Until 'Sora' smiled, thin and mocking. Very unlike Sora.

 

 

“I finally freed myself from the Organization, came all this way to see you, and this is how you react? This is my big welcome party?” 'Sora' asked, wry and sardonic, while beginning to approach her. “What happened, Kai? What's the -”

 

 

“NO! Stay back!” Kairi lashed out wildly, verbally and physically, blindly swinging her Keyblade in a panic. 'Sora' stopped his advance, as Kairi's anxiety bubbled over. “I know that's not Sora. I know that's really you, Zexion! You're just trying to get in my head and try to break me down, but it won't work!”

 

 

In response to Kairi's rant, 'Sora' flinched backwards, eyes flickering with sadness. He looked quite wounded and morose, much to the Princess' surprise. “How could you say that, Kairi?” 'Sora' looked gutted, head held down to the ground, hand over his heart, as if he had been stabbed. “After all this time, you're not happy to see me again? I thought we were friends?”

 

 

It destroyed Kairi to see even a simulacrum of Sora look like that. Sound like that. She took a handful of her hair in frustration and whined, feeling heartsick and conflicted. Once more, her rational side and emotional side were fighting, with the latter inevitably winning out again. Even conscious that these were all just tricks and illusions, Kairi couldn't shake free of the guilt and sadness over clashing with her loved ones. Over yelling at Sora like that...

 

 

_A part of me wishes this was real, Sora. Wherever you are._ She wanted to shut her eyes, to block out the image of the despairing brunet, but she knew that would the height of foolishness. _That you stormed your way here and found me and that we could fight together from now on. But..._ Pain or not, she would have to press on.

 

 

Kairi took a step forward to the disguised Nobody, right arm trembling as it gripped Destiny's Embrace's hilt, white-knuckled.

 

 

“I'm not going to fall for your tricks and your lies, Zexion.” Slowly, Kairi moved in on 'Sora', feeling the wrenching in her heart grow worse with every step. Could she do this? Even ignoring the fact that she was at her limit, could she find the resolve to fight the likeness of Sora? Or perhaps mustering her Light once more would be the right choice, even if it meant falling to unconsciousness. Just like with her mom, Kairi did have a plethora of pleasant memories between her and Sora to choose from. It should be easy. “I've come this far, I'm not going to stop now...”

 

 

Panic set in on 'Sora's' face, as he continued to back away from the approaching Key Bearer, hands held up in a manner begging for peace. “Please, Kairi, stop. Stop! Don't do this!” 'Sora' cried out. Kairi felt her eyes twitch, her own panic and fear surging fiercely. Sharp pains spiked in her chest and stomach, even as she pressed forward. “It's me, it's Sora. What's wrong? Why are you doing this? What's happened to you?” The skin on 'Sora's' face grew in pallor, the boy fearfully sweating in the face of his friend. He continued to retreat and beg off.

 

 

Tears began to roll down Kairi's cheeks, as she wanted to desperately rip off her ears and claw out her eyes. Anything to stop this horrid assault on her senses and her heart. Hearing Sora's terrified wails in the face of her resolve and brave front might have been the most painful thing she ever experienced. She felt physically ill through it all, or rather, felt more ill when combined with her exhaustion. But she had to do this. She had to press on through her own discomfort and sickness and fear and pain. Just because this one Nobody looked like Sora, sounded like Sora...

 

 

Looking on ahead, Kairi could see 'Sora' still flinching from her presence, practically shivering despite the oppressive heat, eyes flickering wildly. Kairi furrowed her brow and hardened her gaze, grimacing through everything. Gripping her weapon even tighter, she took another step. And then another. And then -

 

 

_What am I doing? What is_ wrong _with me?_

 

 

For one brief instance, Kairi imagined how she must have looked – terrifying and crazed, almost demonic – and her heart sank. Destiny's Embrace was dismissed in a burst of light, as Kairi was now the one to flinch away in fear. Was she so far gone that she was willing to do something unthinkable to the person she loved the most? Even if it was an illusion....

 

 

_But what if it isn't? What if this isn't part of the illusion?_ Her mind and heart were so ravaged by Zexion's assault, the lines between truth and lie were beginning to blur. What if this was all an elaborate set-up by the Cloaked Schemer? Putting her through a gauntlet of illusory friends only to spring the real Sora from prison, and making it seem like he was another false shadow, all in a bid to get her to hurt him. Strike him down. _How close was I to hurting him? To killing Sora?_

 

 

Unleashing a heart-wrenching, gut-churning scream of misery, Kairi fell to her knees, clutching at her head with wide and delirious eyes. “Oh god, oh god, Sora.... Sora! I'm so sorry. I-I-I!” The girl babbled and wailed, freely and inconsolably, as she hit her breaking point. This was all too much. She couldn't handle this anymore, couldn't perceive reality from the illusion. She wasn't sure if she wanted to. “I just... I'm not like you! I'm not good enough! I'm not full of light and hope and joy. I can't always be so sweet and happy and open-handed to everyone around me. I'm awful!” After all, she had approached Sora with malicious intent, fully planning on striking him down with her Light or her Keyblade. The person she loved the most; the person she _claimed_ to love the most. Maybe that was the deception. Maybe she had fooled herself into believing the lie that a person who hated themselves could love anyone.

 

 

As Kairi continued to cry and confess all these horrible sins, Sora's own courage returned to him, as he began to cautiously approach the sorrowful girl. Through bleary eyes, Kairi watched it all, joy blooming in her heart as Sora came closer and closer. Yeah. This was right. Sora would never leave someone to break down into tears like this, no matter how afraid he was. He would come over and hug her, smile at her, offer some comforting words. Be the bright and sunny boy she always knew. Whenever she needed him most, Sora never failed to be the shoulder for Kairi to cry on.

 

 

Kairi quietly sniffled, the waterworks ceasing, while Sora placed a hand gently on her shoulder, looking at her with disappointed sadness alighting those ocean blue eyes.

 

 

“I'm glad you finally admitted it.” Sora said, slowly and confidently, while offering her a smile. Those pearly whites caused the bloom to explode into a panoply of emotion. It was okay. This was real. Things were going to be okay.

 

 

In a flash of light, Kingdom Key appeared in Sora's right hand.

 

 

“You _are_ an awful person Kairi...”

 

 

Before the weight of those words could fully be absorbed by the girl, 'Sora' struck, the teeth of his false Keyblade raking against Kairi's cheek. Kairi rolled away, not feeling the bleeding, jagged wound as she was still in shock.

 

 

“I've done my best to stay informed on what you've done. Learn everything about your travels, because I was curious about my friend. But... I just couldn't bare what I saw.” Now the positions had reversed. Kairi was cowering fear as 'Sora' stalked towards her, Keyblade in hand. His smile had turned from one of warmth and comfort to a belittling expression, all the love in his eyes having died out, too. Kairi was still in a daze, but had enough cognizant energy to scold herself for falling for that ploy, like a needy, heartsick idiot. “You charged into battle without thinking, causing so many people to get hurt. My friends... they could have died, you know! All because of you.” 'Sora' continued to rant, as Kairi finally returned to a vertical base, unsure as to what her next move would be. “But you didn't care about their safety or happiness, no, you only wanted to sate your need for revenge. To hate the Organization and attack. To feel better for yourself for all your failures, even as you continued to beat yourself up at every opportunity. You're worthless, Kairi. It's time for you to give this up and go back to the Islands. Wait for me. Who would ever want you as their friend, as their hero? You're an awful, selfish, hate-filled person!”

 

 

“Shut up...” The redhead fired back, feebly. She had long grown tired of this, but it didn't lessen the pain. If it were Zexion here with his face and voice, Kairi would just let the insults slide right off of her. But because it was being done with Sora's appearance, his voice... even if it was an illusion, Kairi still felt like a icy knife had been plunged into her chest. But she needed to keep fighting. Work past all of this and finish this. Make Zexion suffer for perverting her feelings like this.

 

 

She flinched. There she went, immediately turning to violence and vengeance. Was she so twisted and hateful?

 

 

“I'm not going to lose to this, Zexion.” Kairi declared, re-summoning her Keyblade and facing down the shadow of her best friend. “Even if I'm not perfect, Sora will accept me for what I am, flaws and all. I'll always have his love and friendship, not that you would ever understand.” A cold chuckle resonated from 'Sora's' throat at Kairi's latest act of defiance.

 

 

“You really think I love you? Really? Why!?” 'Sora' cackled, pointing Kingdom Key at her. Kairi's ire was raised even higher, as Zexion continued to act in character, even if his deceit had been revealed. “I've been all over the galaxy, met all sorts of amazing people, and you think I would settle for you? There's nothing good about you. You're not that strong. You're not that smart. You're morose and wrathful, needy and whiny, not gracious or sweet, charitable or tenacious. And, let's face it, you're not _that_ pretty...” Kairi growled. Of course a heartless sociopath like a Nobody would resort to such shallow comments like that.

 

 

But, she had to admit, she did have her own doubts about Sora and how he felt for her. Kairi was pretty certain he still saw her as a friend, that he wouldn't reciprocate the feeling she held. And the point about Sora traveling to the far reaches of space and meeting all these wonderful people, Kairi had thought along those lines, too. He had encountered women of so many talents and demeanours, it wasn't crazy to think he had developed feelings for at least one of them. Tifa, Aerith, Yuffie, Olette; girls he hadn't met yet like GoGo or Honey Lemon. Even that Namine girl. They were all so special in their own way, Kairi was certain she couldn't compare.

 

 

_God damn it, Kairi, stop it!_ Her mind raged, as 'Sora' took another step forward. _You can figure that stuff out later, but you need to keep sharp right now. Getting bogged down in your insecurities is what this creep wants._

 

 

Taking several breaths in an attempt to mentally stabilize, Kairi steeled herself against her enemy. The enemy wearing the face of her friend. “Clearly all you Nobodies love the sound of your own voices. You all talk waaay too much...” Finally, the two clashed, 'Sora' swinging Kingdom Key (which Kairi now saw lacked it's Keychain, identifying it as a copy), and Kairi easily parrying the strike.

 

 

'Sora' continued to rain blows down on the Princess, with Kairi deflecting everyone. Despite stealing his looks, Zexion did not manage to copy Sora's skills with a sword. Still, Kairi knew defence wouldn't win her the day, she needed to strike back and dispel the illusion. Her body was beaten up and exhausted, her mana drained dry, so she only had one option. She needed to reach down into that well once more and pull up a spark of Light to fight back against the darkness.

 

 

Nearly a hundred memories scattered across her mind, as the two locked blades, 'Sora' glaring at his opponent, while Kairi looked past him and into her heart.

 

 

“Still not convinced? Then let me tell you the truth.” 'Sora' began, pressing Keyblade against Keyblade, Kairi trying her best to ignore his words and focus on her last gambit. Sora had helped her learn to ride a bike. Sora and Riku had beaten up some bullies that stole her allowance munny. Sora had baked her a cake for her birthday. Sora had hurt himself falling out a tree, Kairi patching him up and helping him home. Sora -

 

 

“The only reason why I like you – why Riku likes you, why anyone cares about you – is because of that Light of yours.” The memories began to slip away, as Kairi felt her focus pulled towards the disguised Nobody's taunts. “Basking in that Light is the most amazing thing in the world. It make me feel... so special, it's almost indescribable!” A mania overtook the likeness of 'Sora'; fervent, zealous worship of the thing Kairi despised so much. “I need that in my life, Kairi. I covet it. I'd do anything to stay in your Light. Anything! You're so self-centered and callous, I could care less about you, but that Light means I'll do anything to keep you safe.” 'Sora's' expression changed again, growing darker, as he leered at Kairi with covetous and ravenous desire. “So go back to the Islands and wait, like a good little princess. Do the only thing you've ever been good at.”

 

 

“ _That's enough!_ ” That was it, the final straw. Whatever restraint and calm that Kairi still held was washed away, her anger roaring forth like an unstoppable tsunami. She had suffered a lot of indignities because of the Organization, because of Zexion, but how dare he make such a claim? That Sora didn't give a damn about her and only cared for the part of her she loathed the most. That their relationship boiled down to Sora seeing her as an object of his desires instead of a person.

 

 

“Zexion!” Kairi pushed off against the silver Keyblade, with such surprising force that it sent 'Sora' stumbling backwards, wide open for an attack. Raising Destiny's Embrace up high, Kairi mustered all of her anger and whatever energy she had left for this final blow, fully intending to annihilate this twisted, salacious Nobody with a singular attack. Both hands on the hilt, Kairi stepped into the slash, bringing her Keyblade down, 'Sora' cowering from the incoming strike, and...

 

 

Kairi froze. The floral teeth of Destiny's Embrace hung an inch from the face of 'Sora'. The fatal arc of the blade had stopped at the last minute, even as her anger still stormed on, even as Kairi pressed herself to move forward and finish this.

 

 

_Come on! Come on come on come oooooon!!!_ Kairi urged her body to move. Urged her arms to finish their descent. To do something. Anything! But they would not budge. She would not budge. She saw the face of a sweet, loving brunet boy before her and her heart refused to act so maliciously towards him. No matter what.

 

 

'Sora' was not hindered but such a thing. Kingdom Key flashed out, slashing wide at Kairi's midsection. The false blade cut through her armour, scoring the flesh beneath, another crimson spurt flowing from the wound. Her resolve quashed and her body further damaged, Kairi collapsed onto her back, Destiny's Embrace vanishing once more.

 

 

“Guess this is it.” As before, 'Sora' grimly approached her, Kairi scrambling on one hand to back away. The other hand was placed over her belly, trying to staunch the bleeding wound. The anger she once held was replaced by fear and grief. “I'm going to miss being able to feel your Light, Kairi. But, I guess I'll just glom on to one of the other Princesses.” 'Sora' shrugged, cruelly, flashing a menacing grin at the downed and injured girl. “Never realized it before, but you can be replaced so easily. Even the thing that makes you special isn't unique.”

 

 

Mirroring the trembling, injured redhead, 'Sora' raised his fake Kingdom Key high above his head, readying the finishing blow. Kairi wanted nothing more than to turn her way, shut her eyes from the inevitable, but her body was still frozen in fear, caught like a deer in headlights, unable to turn away from this harsh end.

 

 

Zexion reared back for the attack, but the Keyblade never came down. The attack never happened. Unlike Kairi, Zexion wasn't stopped by his (non-existent) heart refusing to comply, or a crisis of conscience. No, instead, a pitch-black fireball flew from behind Kairi, striking him square in the chest. The force of the impact sent Zexion flying, as dark flames quickly spread across his body.

 

 

It all happened so fast that Kairi almost didn't process the event. Out of curiosity, she craned her head behind her to see the new participant entering the scrum. Standing atop the perimeter wall of the palace was a mysterious figured. Someone dressed in black, jagged armour with a horned helmet, the remains of a black cloak loosely hanging from the plate.

 

 

Someone wielding a Keyblade

 

 

The figure was far away, and Kairi was delirious from pain and blood loss, exhausted and emotionally weary, but she still could recognize a Keyblade when she saw one.

 

 

A pained scream came from Zexion, Kairi's attention drawn back to the Nobody, seeing the results of the attack that drove the Cloaked Schemer off. Black flames licked up and down the form of Zexion, literally burning away the disguise he wore, both the appearance and voice of Sora finally being destroyed and revealing the Silhouette Nobody beneath. Panicking and in pain, Zexion thrashed about in an attempt to snuff out the hellish flames.

 

 

“You, you!” Zexion called out to the armoured figure in the distance, seemingly familiar with whoever they were. “You always have to stick your nose in my business, don't you? You're nothing but a thorn in my side, R-”

 

 

Another dark fireball slammed into Zexion, more cinders consuming his form, as the Nobody continued to scream over the crackling blaze.

 

 

Kairi's body almost moved on it's own, a welcome change seeing as how it stopped on it's own earlier. While Zexion continued to try and douse the flames in a wild frenzy, Kairi recalled her Keyblade and struck. Without wearing Sora's face, there was no hesitance to her action, Kairi threw Destiny's Embrace like a javelin, driven not by anger but simply a need to win and survive. The flowery weapon flew straight and true, goring Zexion through the stomach before he could stamp out the rest of the fire.

 

 

“You have seen your own fear and doubts firsthand... The truth and the lies will consume you and your Light...” Zexion croaked out in a soft, fading voice, before the flames turned into a roaring conflagration, covering his body and drowning out his dying scream. The black fire ate away at everything, only petering out when just a blackened Dusk Nobody remained, before that too disintegrated into the ether.

 

 

Thankful the ordeal was done, Kairi got up to her knees, as that was the most she could manage right now. Still clutching at the wound on her stomach, she turned back to Zexion's slayer, calling out, “Hey, who are -”

 

 

They were gone without a trace.

 

 

Kairi fell back down, lying in the middle of the courtyard on her back, staring up at the blazing sun. By the barest skin of her teeth, she had survived, but felt nothing but misery, nausea, and pain. Knowing her friends still needed her, but too exhausted to move, and on the border between unconsciousness and waking, Zexion's cruel words echoed in her head. Each and every insult and barb repeating itself, in the voices of her friends.

 

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

Eventually, Kairi found the strength and wherewithal to pick herself up and get moving. Having enough mana return to her to cast Cure helped – sewing up the bleeding wounds on her gut and cheek – but she also knew Yuna and Jasmine and the others were out there, possibly in danger, and she could not stand for that. Her need to help others trumped her own dismaying, damaged heart, and focusing on an obtainable goal might help her ignore the events of this most recent battle.

 

 

Agrabah beyond the palace walls was still abandoned and eerily quiet. Even more quiet, Kairi thought, as she made her way through the winding streets, maneuvering up and around rubble. She could not hear the din of battle off in the distant, and the serpentine Heartless that had hounded them earlier was not to be seen. No Heartless were around, in fact. Kairi walked through the streets of the desert city by herself. She wasn't sure whether that was a good sign or a bad one.

 

 

With short, shaky steps, Kairi set her mind on only moving forward and finding her friends, trying to blank her mind and her heart, to set aside the turmoil afflicting her. No matter what she told herself, Kairi could not dispel the dark shadows that had taken root within her being. It had hurt to see her mom again, Leon and the others were more physically exhausting than anything else, and it was hard to see the girls act in such a manner, the encounter with Sora was the worst of it. Sora blaming her, rejecting her, treating her as more a burden and MacGuffin than person, it all felt too real. After all, Zexion didn't pull those shadows and illusions from nowhere; he had peered into her heart and seen the fears and doubts she held. All the Nobody really did was translate those phantoms into something more real and tangible.

 

 

Growing more and more frustrated, Kairi soon blew up and resorted to smacking her own head repeatedly, trying to snap herself out of things. She thought she was over this. Over doubt and fear and anxiety. Why was it that her lot in life seemed to be one step forward, two steps back?

 

 

_It's not you, Kairi. It's that Light. That's the source of all your problems._ A part of her mind told herself partly to comfort herself, but also to try and stop Kairi from battering her own head repeatedly. _Your heart isn't perfect, but it's yours. It's your strength, you said as much and you were right. But that Light doesn't belong. It's only brought pain and death to you and those around you. It's like an invasive species, a parasite, choking the life out of you and your loved ones._

 

 

Yeah, maybe that was it...

 

 

Soon thereafter, Kairi thankfully ran into her friends, finding Yuna and the others wandering through the city as well, traveling in the opposite direction. It seemed they had followed a similar trajectory to her adventures, beating an enemy and then rushing to the aid of their friend, as everyone looked a little scuffed up. The three Gullwings in particular were covered head to toe in dust and grime, caked in a sandy film. Kairi found herself giggling and chuckling at the sight of it all, a welcome relief to the misery and agony she had feasted upon.

 

 

“Yes, I guess we look awful, don't we?” Yuna returned, gracefully, laughing at her own appearance. “We ended up fighting that giant Heartless. We won, obviously. I, uh, it -”

 

 

“Yunie blew it up.” Rikku blurted out, casually, though her face was tightly scrunched up. The blonde was fidgeting constantly. “ _Biiig_ explosion. If it were an organic being, we would probably be covered in blood and guts and stuff.” Well, thank goodness for that...

 

 

“What about you, are you alright, Kairi?” Aladdin asked, Jasmine echoing his sentiments. Paine was standing in the back of the group, eyeing the redhead up and down.

 

 

“You're a little banged up.” Paine's eyes darted towards the two half-healed wounds on the girl. “He gave you some trouble, I take it?”

 

 

“Yeah. A bit.” Kairi was unsure if she wanted to inform the Gullwings as to what happened today. Even if they were speaking privately, even if Aladdin and Jasmine weren't present, she wasn't sure what good it would do. The girls would offer her comfort and reassurance sure, but would their platitudes quell the doubts in her heart? And they would most likely continue to try and train and hone that wretched Light that dwelt in her heart. Focus more energy on that futile task. “It was... I ended up in a jam at the end. But someone showed up out of nowhere to pull me out of the fire. A Key Bearer.” That comment got everyone's attention.

 

 

“Another Key Bearer? And here I thought Sora was the one and only.” Jasmine mused aloud, before asking, “Was it Sora, by chance?”

 

 

“No, it wouldn't be him.” Yuna quickly deflected, to avoid awkward questions.

 

 

“They were wearing dark armour, completely covered.” Kairi explained further. “So I couldn't see there face. I'm not entirely sure who it was.” Herself, Sora, King Mickey, Roxas, Aqua. But it seemed there was one more mysterious Wielder wandering the world, also battling the Organization. That fact made Kairi feel a little better about herself and her position.

 

 

“Well, the Nobody is taken care of, the big, bad Heartless went kablooey, guess there's only one other thing to do before we can call this a wrap.” Rikku had already pulled her portable radar out from her utility belt, fiddling with the knobs. Aladdin and Jasmine seemed oddly fascinated by the device, but said nothing. “So let's find that Stone, and the three of us can finally take a shower and then – wait, WHAT!?”

 

 

Everyone huddled around the blonde and her gadget following her loud freak-out, staring at the screen. Rendered in black and green was a rough outline of the city, followed by an endless expanse beyond that – obviously the desert surrounding the city. A marker set in the center of the map represented Rikku and the radar, but then there was nothing else. No beacon or point that indicated the site of the Blackheart Stone.

 

 

“What's going on, Rikku?” Kairi asked, as they all continued to hunch over her shoulder. Rikku was muttering to herself, adjusting the settings of her radar but to no avail. Nothing on the screen changed.

 

 

“Did the radar get damaged in the fight?” Came Yuna, though the blonde just shook her head furiously.

 

 

“No, no, no! It works fine. But I know where the Stone was. Ten miles southwest. I scouted it, I know it!” She then angrily pointed a finger to the screen. There actually was something else present, a tiny red flag hovering to a point in the expanse outside the city. “I even used a marker to lock it in place. But it's gone, the Stone is gone!”

 

 

“That.. can't be possible.” Was all that Kairi could say, all that everyone could say, as confusion and silence fell on the group. Only Keyblades could destroy the Stone, just like with the Heartless. Any other weapon would just generate that violent backlash. “You must be mistaken or something, Rikku. That's the only explanation.”

 

 

“No, no it's not.” Paine replied, eyes narrowed in deep thought. “There was another Key Bearer here, we know that. And I still think that thing we fought was the Guardian Heartless. And we've seen before that destroying the Stone does nothing to effect the Guardian it's linked to...”

 

 

Kairi immediately picked up on what Paine was leading to, finishing for the swordswoman. “You think that armoured figure with the Keyblade destroyed the Stone, but the Heartless escaped him?” Paine nodded, and everyone was following along with her theory. Well, Yuna and Rikku were, Aladdin and Jasmine looked a little lost from all the technical jargon. “But Aladdin said this thing showed up days ago. The time doesn't match up.”

 

 

“Do you have a better theory?”

 

 

Kairi did not, she had to conceded. And now it seemed the only course of action they could take was go to the spot Rikku had marked and investigate themselves. But a ten-mile trek through the desert after the day she had had – that they all had – didn't seem like the most pleasant thing in the world. “I guess we should rest for the evening and head out to the site in the morning...”

 

 

“If you're going into the desert, let us lend a hand.” Came Jasmine. “You've already done so much for us in this short amount of time, it's the least we could do.” She then gestured to Aladdin, the former street rat catching on to whatever idea she had formed. Aladdin whistled sharply, the shrill sound rebounding through the empty city.

 

 

Not five seconds later, something swooped down from the sky to join the group of six on the city streets – a purple and golden carpet with frilled tassels hanging from it's corners. Carpet zipped around Aladdin and Jasmine, ebullient and jovial in it's mannerism, not to mention entirely ambulatory. Kairi could only dumbly blink at the fact she was staring at an actual, factual flying carpet. _Magic and monsters and mermaids, secret entrances and flying carpets... That's it, that's it. My life has become a kitchen-sink fantasy story._

 

 

Though, like the appearance of the Gullwings, it was something that took her mid off her troubles, so that was nice.

 

 

After getting Carpet to settle down, Aladdin and Jasmine climbed atop the roving rug, motioning for the others to join them.

 

 

“Well, it certainly beats marching through the desert.” Kairi said, before joining the two atop Carpet.

 

 

It was a tight fit, having all six of them crammed atop Carpet, not to mention zooming through the sandy, searing air of the Arabian desert didn't make for the easiest of flights. Still, Carpet's speed was nothing to scoff at, as it was barely over ten minutes before Rikku spoke up, telling their mode of transport to slow down and fly close to the sandy planes below.

 

 

Soon after, cresting over a large dune, the group caught sight of the Stone. Or, what was left of it. A small, jagged nub of black stone was jutting out from the surface of the sand, with dozens and dozens of pieces of similar rock scattered around it, some larger than Kairi's torso, others smaller than her thumb. Still, it was unmistakably a Blackheart Stone; even if the once solid stone now crumbled whenever Kairi tried to handle it, the texture and ominous look were identical to the other she had encountered. Not to mention, both Aladdin and Jasmine approached thing with incredibly caution and curiosity, marking that the remnant of the cursed object was not native or familiar to this world.

 

 

“Well, guess that settle that.” Paine stated, picking up on the larger chunks of the Stone. The inert material crumbled into dust the moment she applied any sort of pressure. “Whoever it was that helped Kairi, they destroyed the Stone but summoned the Guardian. A little sloppy, but he got the job done.”

 

 

“Still, I wonder where they came from. Who they could be?” Yuna pondered, idly and aloud.

 

 

“Roxas.” Kairi said, quietly, as much to herself as to the others. She was stunned she didn't realize it earlier. “Roxas. It was Roxas! It has to be!”

 

 

“Who's Roxas?” Jasmine asked. Yuna quickly answered, as Kairi was getting too swept up in her revelation, too excited to answer.

 

 

“Sora's Nobody.”

 

 

“Sora's _what_?”

 

 

“Uh... right.” The brunette blanched. “It's a bit of a long story. Even we aren't entirely clear on all the details.”

 

 

Meanwhile, Paine and Rikku were more interested in learning how Kairi leaped to this shocking conclusion. “And what makes you so sure about that, Red?”

 

 

“Well, he had something around his armour that looked kind of like the cloak the Organization wears.” Kairi began, her first point only drawing deeper skepticism from her allies. “Also, Zexion, the Nobody, he recognized him. He knew whoever this was and, before he got attacked, was about to say his name – I think – and it began with an R!” Kairi was so certain she correct she didn't care that Rikku and Paine weren't immediately latching on to her theory. This was right. It had to be right. “Not to mention, we know Roxas can wield a Keyblade, and it's not like there's a whole lot us out there. We can't just assume there are secret Key Bearers lying in wait. Before last year, when Sora got his, most people weren't even aware of the Keyblade's existence.”

 

 

On that point, the two Gullwings conceded, Kairi considering that her win. This was great! She really hoped she and Roxas would cross paths again. Hoped she could get him to stick around instead of saving her bacon and then running off. He seemed like such a nice guy from the brief, spiritual conversation they shared, not to mention he was Sora's other! Kairi was certain she and Roxas would end up being thick as thieves, when they finally met, person to person.

 

 

But, then, a thought crept into her head. Why did Roxas show up, attack Zexion, and then flee so suddenly? Why did he not come up and introduce himself, so that they could properly begin their friendship? Was it... was it because he derived from Sora, and Roxas agreed with the former, especially after seeing Kairi as the hate-filled, selfish person she was?  
  


 

_No, no, no! Sora never said that. Zexion did._ Kairi told herself. Her thoughts were all mixed up from the realness of Zexion's disguise, but the reminder was hollow. At the very least, Roxas probably saw her raise her Keyblade in anger at the fake Sora. Ready to strike down someone who looked so much like him...

 

 

Kairi shivered and held herself, sighing loudly and despondently.

 

 

“So, I guess that means we're done here.” Paine summarized. “Heartless, Stone, and Nobody, all taken care of.” She was right. Even in her sullen haze, Kairi agreed with Paine. What else was there for them?

 

 

“Oh... uh... Jasmine, Aladdin, I'm so sorry.” Kairi bowed her head in contrition to her fellow Princess and her lover. Did these two ever have doubts about their partner? Probably not. They seemed perfect for each other. Just another way Kairi was defective compared to her the other Princesses. “The entire city has been basically destroyed because of that Heartless. If we only arrived just a little earlier, we could have stopped this. Or, even if we fought harder, we might have been able to limit the damage.” Every time Kairi had said “we”, she meant “I”. She as the Key Bearer was at fault here.

 

 

However, much to her surprised, both Aladdin and Jasmine just waved her off, gracious and friendly. “We appreciate the apology, Kairi, but you don't have anything to apologize for.” Aladdin said, offering her a warm smile, very much like Sora. The actual Sora. Kairi didn't know how to feel about that. “You did your best, that's all anyone can ask for. Not to mention, well, me and Jasmine have been discussing something for a while now...”

 

 

“I grew up with the entire world served to me on a platter. Anything and everything I could ever ask for was given to me, no question asked.” Jasmine began, serious and solemn. Her eyes were locked to the northeast, back towards the city she called home. “I always knew I had such privilege and that my experiences weren't the norm but, until that fateful day I sneaked out of the palace, I never imagined how harsh life was for the people in the city. How many people suffered, lived and died in poverty.” Aladdin went to stand side-by-side with his partner, taking a hold of her hand. The one-time thief gave the princess an encouraging look, trying to coax her through a moment of sorrow. Just from watching the two, Kairi could tell just how personal this decision was. “The Sultanate has turned a blind-eye to struggles of our people for far too long, but I can't stand for it. I want to rebuild Agrabah so that is a shining jewel, so that it is the envy of the world.” Jasmine turned to Aladdin, addressing everyone and him all at once. “I want to turn Agrabah into a city where everyone – royal and common alike – can live in peace, prosperity, and joy. The city may have been destroyed, but it can be rebuilt, Kairi. And maybe things needed to be destroyed before they could improve. Maybe this is a bit of a blessing in disguise...”

 

 

Kairi was floored by the dedication, resolve, and benevolence Jasmine demonstrated. What she was describing – rebuilding a city and completely abolishing caste and class that effected the citizenry – was a truly arduous task. But here she was, future Sultaness Princess Jasmine, ready to take on the world, not for her sake, but for everyone's. To make sure all the people she was charged with protecting could live life to the fullest. To not worry about food or munny. Just as when they first met, Kairi could feel that shining Light ripple from the Arabian Princess, her altruism resonating through the brightness.

 

 

...And, all that did, to Kairi's great shame, was make her feel deeply ashamed of herself. Of how lacking she was. How could she possibly compare to this amazing person?

 

 

“...That's wonderful, Jasmine. Truly wonderful.” Kairi finally managed to say. Even if she was jealous and ashamed, she did believe in Jasmine's desire and wanted to throw her endorsement behind her, one-hundred percent. “I wish you the absolute best, and, one day, whenever you've finished, Sora and I will want to see this new Agrabah. This paradise you'll create.”

 

 

With everything wrapped up in a neat little package, Carpet flew the group straight back to Agrabah, pack to the palace, Kairi wanting to make sure Aladdin and Jasmine were safe and sound before departing. Goodbyes and well-wished were exchanged before Kairi and the Gullwings made their exit. The day had come to an end, finally and thankfully, but both groups – the reluctant Princess and her entourage and the noble royal and her consort – had great and daunting tasks ahead of them still.

 

 

**-O-SWLTW-O-**

 

 

The moment – the very instance – Kairi and the Gullwings returned to the ship, the three Spiran girls all sprinted to the showers, stripping their filthy clothes with wild abandon. Even when Kairi reminded them there were only three showers, it did nothing to stop the mad rush. For a brief moment, as the halls of the Gummi ship were filled the sounds of running water and sighs of relief, Kairi wondered which of her two companions budided up in the showers.

 

 

This was soon followed by Yuna and Rikku scrambling to find a good enough substitute for aloe-vera lotion. Indeed, Paine had received a wicked, burning red sunburn, despite spending more time shaded by her parasol and covered by sand than directly in the sunlight. The normally unflappable warrior was in turns angry and embarrassed over the entire incident, hiding away for most of the night, but Kairi did steal a few brief glimpses of her. In the redhead's estimation, she looked less like a lobster and more like a vulture – red and black with a tiny bit of white.

 

 

Still, she was thankful to be given some alone time, as the three cleaned themselves up and sorted Paine out. The reprieve let Kairi be with her thoughts and collect herself, retreating to her bedroom to try and chart her next course of action.

 

 

It did not, as with most things in her life, go well.

 

 

The words Zexion had delivered while disguised as Sora did still hurt, as did the gallery of sneering faces from her friends and loved ones, but Kairi had made some peace with them. Even if Sora did feel those things – see her as just a precious jewel to covet and hide away, to bask in her Light – he would never say it to her. And he would never do it in such a callous way. They were friends. They had been friends for nearly ten years. He had chased after her to the end's of the universe, for crying aloud!

 

 

_He chased after you to the end's of the universe solely so he could keep your Light close at hand. So he could feel special again._ A voice echoed in her mind, sounding too much like the vanquished Silhouette Nobody for her liking.

 

 

Kairi scrunched up her face and threw herself onto her bed, repeatedly punching her pillow before slamming her face into it.

 

 

“This sucks. I hate this so much.”

 

 

And, maybe though, she had been too harsh on her Light throughout the day. Kairi still didn't like the powers that came with being a Princess, and would rather be done with it forever, but clearly the fault lied with her more than anything. Jasmine's Light was a spectacular thing to behold, bolstered by her positive desires, and clearly the Arabian Princess was adept at using it. If she properly trained and harnessed that power, just how strong could Jasmine be? Maybe she should be a Key Bearer, too. She certainly possessed the spirit and drive to succeed at heroism.

 

 

The reluctant Princess and heroine sighed. Her heart was a jumbled up mess. Even her own emotions and desires were unclear and blurry. She had no idea how to proceed. “Just what am I going to do?”

 

 

“Knock-knock.”

 

 

Kairi lifted her head from her pillow, turning about to see Rikku standing in the door frame. A shower and a fresh set of clothes had done wonders for the blonde, who had returned to her typical bubbly disposition.

 

 

“Hey. What's up? How're you guys doing?”

 

 

“Eh, it's fine. Paine's settled down, we figured something to help her out. Hopefully this clears up before long.” The energetic teen then averted her gaze from Kairi, shuffling her feet awkwardly. It looked like she had something to say, but didn't know how to say it. Odd, considering how flippant a gadfly she normally was. “Say, Red... me and Yunie were talking, and I just gotta ask: are you... feeling okay? You seemed sorta mopey and stuff since we reunited.”

 

 

Kairi pursed her lips together. She should have figured one of her companions would have picked up on her mood sooner than later; they were all perceptive in their own ways. The other thing she had been wrestling with was how to explain all these happenings to the Gullwings. They were her friends, they would want to know and would want to help her move past this trauma. They had been on all sorts of adventures, too; Kairi wouldn't be surprised to hear if Yuna, former Summoner of Spira, had been through a similar ordeal in the past. The Gullwings all had faith in her and saw the best in her, wanted her to be that best version of her...

 

 

“Yeah, Rikku, I'm okay.” Kairi lied. “It's just, that battle took a lot out of me. I'm kind of tired. But some alone time and some rest and I should be okay. Thanks for asking, though.”

 

 

...But, really, what could Yuna do? Or Rikku or Paine? Yes, the Gullwings had faith in her, and that faith was precious to Kairi, but beyond that and some soothing words, what could they offer? None of them had been in love before, all of them had said as much, none of them understood the crisis of having the person you loved, admired, desired, and emulated saying such horrible things. None of them would understand the difficulties of being told you were “special” but seeing what being “special” actually meant. It would be foolish of Kairi to ask for help, to go crying to them once more. Unfairly dumping her problems onto their laps. Maybe.. it was time Kairi tried to stand up on her own and fail or succeed on her own terms.

 

 

Thankfully, Rikku accepted Kairi's response, giving the Key Bearer space, as a long-awaited slumber began to take hold. Praying she wouldn't suffer from nightmares because of today, Kairi was left alone with the feeling that she had screwed up and fallen behind again, and with more lingering questions.

 

 

Just what was she going to do with her Light going forward?

 

 

And what was she going to do when the time came for her and Sora to be reunited?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, probably a good thing I split the chapter in two. It would have ended up being around 30,000 words otherwise. Again, sorry for the delay between parts, guys.
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> Speaking of, even before the split, I was indecisive as to where to put the scene between Sora and Namine, but I think placing it right before Kairi's confrontation with Zexion!Sora was the right pick. I know Sora hasn't made a ton of appearance so far, so I think it was right to finally get his reaction as to how Kairi and Riku are doing, and it's good to see his unabashed faith and acceptance of his friends.
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> I hope that sweetness softened the blow of the main portion of the chapter. I'm not wholly happy with the stuff between Kairi and Zexion, mostly because I don't like writing angst. I don't enjoy it, I don't know if I'm any good at it, and it tends to strike some personal nerves for me, too. The whole “can you love someone if you don't love yourself” thing is pretty... yeah. So, I hope I did a good enough job. Please lend me some feedback on it, if you don't mind, whether you liked or didn't.
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> If you are worried with how I am portraying the Light of the Princesses as something entirely negative and hurtful, don't worry, that isn't where the arc is going. I may have plenty of misgivings with the franchise and want nothing more to do with it from this point on, but I'm not going to deconstruct elements for the sake of deconstruction. I just thought the idea of a Princess resenting their Light was an interesting angle and that the power and mythology needed a bit more exploration and elaboration. There is more yet to Kairi's arc. Namely, at this point, Kairi is letting others define her and her power, tell her what she is and should be. She needs to take command of her life and assert what she wants to be, what she wants to do, in spite of those that would say otherwise.
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> Same deal with Sora thinking of himself as selfish. You might think that's an odd direction for the character to go, but I think it works. Heroic as Sora is, he has constantly put the needs of Kairi and Riku ahead of the good of the worlds. Or, rather, he puts what he thinks are the needs of Kairi and Riku first. He's still well-meaning in his actions, but that's sort of a consequence to emotional-heavy thinkers. They can't inherently put themselves in the view-point of others, and do what think is good for the other, but largely helps themselves. Sora being selfish doesn't make him a bad person. If the games had any intention of calling him out for his recklessness, I think it could finally give him so character development after so damn long. But, alas, clearly that's not it...
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> I did mention, regarding Kairi and Roxas, she would put the pieces together correctly but come to some incorrect conclusions. I bet both Roxas and Riku would be thrilled to learn she confused the two! Also, I know Kairi doesn't mention Riku all too much, and it may seem bad for her to not even dwell on the possibility that that is Riku, but that will be addressed next chapter. Also, because I am a dummy, I didn't mention chapters ago when the armour debuted, that Riku's armour is largely inspired by Judge Gabranth's armour in Final Fantasy XII. Because I love the Ivalice games and love pulling from them. Also to mark that Riku and his generation are different from Terra and his.
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> Anyways, not too much more to say about all this. Again, sorry for the split and the delay, but we are heading into the endgame, with only two more Disney worlds and two more Blackheart Stones. For a quick hint, both worlds were NOT featured in Kingdom Hearts II, meaning, like with San Fransokyo, Kairi will be forging her own path.
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> Be sure to drop a review or comment at your leisure, please and thank you, your support, feedback, and engagement mean the world to me and always make my day.
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> Until next time, let the light guide your path forward.


End file.
